The Friends of Mt. Tabor Park has created a 2025 calendar, which includes 41 dogs from 38 families. Georgia Obradovich, Visitor Center Coordinator, and Rachel White, Treasurer for Friends of Mt. Tabor Park, collaborated to make this first-ever calendar. They share a great love for dogs and came up with the idea, hardly able to contain their excitement at the thought of working on it.
Over the summer, they put out the call for people to submit photos of their leashed dogs somewhere in Mt. Tabor Park. At the end of July, Obradovich and White were thrilled with all the great photos that were submitted and included every picture they received in the calendar.
In addition to being a fundraiser, they also wanted to promote Mt. Tabor Park, connecting the dogs and people who walk them together to build community within Mt. Tabor. The Visitor Center sees local dog walkers, runners, skateboarders, concert goers, bird watchers and travelers from around the US and the world. From 2020 to 2024, they recorded representation from 94 countries on their Pin Board located outside the Visitor Center.
The Visitor Center is known for handing out free dog cookies to their furry visitors. The fun tradition was started by the very first coordinator of the Visitor Center, Dave Hillman, in 2011. The tradition continues to be carried on due to the joy it brings to the dogs, to the owners and its contribution to building community.
Calendars are currently on sale at the Visitor Center only for $20 (cash or credit card). Thanks to the commitment of 39 volunteers, they are open seven days a week 9:30 am-2 pm. In addition to the calendars, they sell other merchandise (greeting cards, ornaments, logo hats, shirts, magnets, decals, cloth patches and mugs) to help support the programs that Friends of Mt. Tabor Park oversees—Weed Warriors, Foot Patrol, Visitor Center and Urban Nature Series.
Although this is the first calendar they have produced, The Friends hope it won’t be the last. If the response so far (they sold out of their initial order and have placed a second order), is any indication, this may be the start of a new tradition. Pick up one for yourself or as a holiday gift.
