Dear Esteemed Council Members, My name is Catherine Gong and I have been a Menlo Park resident for over 26 years. Moving to Menlo Park post-college was a deliberate decision for my husband and I as we value strong, involved community, close neighborhoods (we’re in the Willows) and civic pride and inclusiveness. Appropriately, we are active in our neighborhood and several community-focused offerings, such as Rec. classes, Summer of Service and volunteering/fundraising for the school district. Our daughter has been especially active in the Gymnastics program, and currently competes proudly as an advanced level Menlo Spark under Coach Savina Krakowski and the leadership of Karen Mihalek. Competitive gymnastics in the Bay Area can be cut-throat and high stress as private gyms vie for big buck membership dollars, pressure girls to sabotage each other to ‘keep their spot’ and encourage false elitism among parents. Menlo Park Gymnastics, however, from toddler lot to team level, promotes self-awareness in health, positive goal setting, development of integrity and community and the pure joy of effort and accomplishment. I see the undeniably positive impact the program has had on my daughter’s development and know that your Gymnastics staff delivers beyond what not only other gyms deliver, but also beyond what we have experienced in any other Rec program (and they are all pretty solid). We are always tickled to hear of a neighbor, friend or younger sibling, even from outside of Menlo Park, joining Gymnastics classes at Rec because we know they will have an absolutely affirming experience. We can absolutely understand why this program is known throughout the peninsula as being the best, not only for the volume of offerings and the opportunity of inclusiveness, but also for the shear quality of the programming. I understand the extreme pressure that COVID has put on budgeting, but the thought of reduced or eliminated Gymnastics at Rec – the thought that so many children and their families (some without other options) would be so negatively impacted in a key area of health and civic development – is almost inconceivable. Please, please, please consider keeping Gymnastics whole. With deep regard, Catherine Gong Received on Sun May 17 2020 - 15:21:30 PDT
