Sponsorships & Memorials

Your company can enjoy exposure on our multi-purpose fields, pool, indoor gyms, fitness rooms, and sports equipment. Sponsors are very appreciated as this helps keep our program costs down.

Sponsor a field, court, pool, or indoor gymnasium by placing a mesh banner on the fence or indoors. Outdoor banners are put up by March 1 and taken down around December 1.

Information

• Prices include installation and take-down.
• Full color banners at multipurpose and baseball fields: 6’x4’ mesh banner, with at least 6 grommets.
• Full color banners at tennis and basketball courts: 3’x2’ mesh banner, with at least 4 grommets.
• Full color banners inside gymnasiums: 6’x4’ vinyl banner, with poll pocket or at least 3 grommets across the top.
• Sign space is on a first-come, first-served basis.
• If you cannot provide a banner, design & print services are an additional cost that starts at $250* per sign, paid in advance.
• Must pay in full prior to installation.
• Signs may include company name, logo, phone number, website or social media site location or social media icons.
• Signs may not include slogan, photos/pictures (head shots of realtors allowed on inside banners), alcohol, tobacco (including smokeless) products, firearms, pornography, profanity, or inappropriate content.
• Banners must be approved by Howard County Recreation & Parks prior to displaying.
• Recreation & Parks reserves the right to remove banners at any time.
• Banners that are damaged are replaced at the expense of the sponsor.

*Prices subject to change.

For more information, please contact Anna Hunter at ahunter@howardcountymd.gov or Cara Marshall at cmarshall@howardcountymd.gov. 

These are given out on a five-year basis. Please contact Mike Michael at mmilani@howardcountymd.gov.

Sponsor a plaque that may be renewed every five years.
Ex: Thank you to [your name] for helping us maintain our pavilions.

For more information, please contact Anna Hunter at ahunter@howardcountymd.gov or Cara Marshall at cmarshall@howardcountymd.gov. 

Howard County Recreation & Parks offers a variety of camps, programs, and leagues throughout the calendar year. 

In summer 2023, there were 29,403 summer camp & program registrants.

Sports Summer Camp T-shirts - $3,000 per 2,500 shirts
In the summer sports camp t-shirts are ordered for each participant. By sponsoring our camp t-shirts, you are supporting our programs while bringing attention to your company or organization.

• 1-color sponsor provided logo on the back (full width) participant shirts

Other Summer Camp T-shirts - Price TBD

• 1-color sponsor provided logo on the back (full width) participant shirts

Championship Shirt – $5 per shirt 

• 1-color sponsor provided logo on the back (full width) participant shirts

League Jersey - Price TBD

• 1-color sponsor provided logo on the back (full width) participant shirts

Only adult leagues may be sponsored by a bar that serves alcohol. Some adult leagues have about 400 participants per season.

For more information, please contact Anna Hunter at ahunter@howardcountymd.gov or Cara Marshall at cmarshall@howardcountymd.gov. 

Get together! Our community centers and programmers provide innovative and well-run programs, events and services that serve the growing and changing needs and wants of our community. Whether you’re interested in fitness, aquatics or performing arts… we need your support! Including land and water fitness programs, personal training sessions, pickleball and drop-in programs, and classes for all ages, the community centers are the community’s connection to a healthy and active lifestyle!

Annually, the department has over 45,000 participants.

• Over 1,500 summer camp sections
• Over 1,800 programs in the Fall
• Over 1,400 programs in the Winter
• Over 1,400 programs in the Spring
• Over 550 programs in the Summer

Activity Guide Ads

• 140,000 printed
• 7.5” X 10.5”
• Distribution: Mailed to over 132,000 households, Fairs, Online, HC Gov. Facilities.

Placed in Guide (Full color)

• Quarter Page, 3.25” wide X 4.5” tall – $750 per issue
• Half Page, 3.25” wide X 9” tall – $1,250 per issue

Inside Back Cover (Full color, gloss paper)

• Quarter Page, 3.25” wide X 4.5” tall – $1,000 per issue
• Half Page, 3.25” wide X 9” tall – $1,750 per issue

Back Cover

• Half Page, 3.25” wide X 6.5” tall – $3,000 per issue
• Full Page, 6.75” wide X 6.5” tall – $5,000 per issue

For more information, please contact Anna Hunter at ahunter@howardcountymd.gov or Cara Marshall at cmarshall@howardcountymd.gov. 

Membership Card – $1,000 per year
Place your company logo on all membership cards printed for one calendar year.

Banner – $500 per year
Sponsor a gymnasium or outdoor space.

Digital Slide – $50 per month
Sponsor a slide on video screens in:

• Gary J. Arthur Community Center
• Meadowbrook Athletic Complex
• N. Laurel Community Center
• Recreation & Parks Headquarters
• Robinson Nature Center
• Roger Carter Community Center

Fitness Room – $500 per year
Place your logo in one of our fitness rooms. Logos are placed in one location in each room. Maximum of 12” wide x 6” high logo. Full Color/Vinyl Sticker

For more information, please contact Anna Hunter at ahunter@howardcountymd.gov or Cara Marshall at cmarshall@howardcountymd.gov. 

Recreation & Parks sponsors help us bring fabulous special events to the community to enjoy, including egg hunts for all ages, fishing tournaments, free summer concerts, a free fireworks event attended by an estimated 20,000 people, our two-day Wine in the Woods festival attended by an average of 25,000, a juried craft fair (Holiday Mart), Kid’s Fest (over 1,000 participants), and many more. Those that partner with Recreation & Parks benefit from name recognition during programs and events.

Tailored Sponsorship Packages Available!

For more information, please contact Anna Hunter at ahunter@howardcountymd.gov or Cara Marshall at cmarshall@howardcountymd.gov. 

Caring for live animals is a big job and requires many resources. The animals at Robinson Nature Center serve as educational ambassadors, providing numerous learning opportunities for the public and helping us spread a message of awareness and conservation. 

You can support the animals residing at Robinson Nature Center with an annual sponsorship. Each sponsorship comes with a package of benefits and make great gifts! 

Naturesphere Film – $3,000-$10,000
Robinson Nature Center’s “NatureSphere” is the only planetarium in Howard County offering regular programs for the public. The Center partners with sponsors to acquire new, exciting, full-dome films for public viewing. Become a Tier 1 or Tier 2 sponsor by sponsoring the cost of a license agreement for one of these films.

Tier 1  – $5,001-$10,000

• Thank you screen at the beginning of public showings of the planetarium movie for the duration of the license agreement (between 5 and 20 years)
• Private showing of the film for employees prior to film “opening” to the public
• Recognition in the planetarium film brochure

Tier 2 – $3,000-$5,000

• Thank you screen at the beginning of public showings of the planetarium movie for the duration of the license agreement (between 5 and 20 years)
• 20 complimentary tickets for planetarium programming
• Recognition in the planetarium film brochure

School Field Trip – $3,500
The center is the host to many school field trips each year. Your sponsorship covers the cost of a field trip program and busing for a group of students from schools serving populations where 75% or more of the students are in the Free & Reduced Meal program (Title 1 schools). Choose a school close to your business or donate to support any of these schools. In return for your generosity, receive...

• Recognition through a thank you social media post
• Thank you screen on our lobby digital screen for a year
• Thank you slide for one month at the HCRP headquarters' digital screen
• Sponsor recognition in the Nature Center’s classroom spaces during the field trip
• Sponsor recognition on the Nature Center’s Field Trip webpage

Outdoor Structure or Play Elements – $2,000
The center includes a Children’s Garden, Nature Play Area and Trail system. Help us engage visitors through sponsoring new components for these areas (ex: sculptures, instruments, and planters). In return for your generosity, receive...

• Recognition on plaque for new element for the duration of the element’s lifetime
• Thank you post on social media
• Thank you post on our lobby digital screen for a year

The Nature Center – $1,500
Help support the nature center’s mission. Donations support tree and garden plantings, live animal care costs, educational programming and Discovery room games, books and toys. In return for your generosity, receive a...

• Thank you post on social media
• Thank you post on our lobby digital screen for a year

Animal Sponsorship – $60

• Place your name on digital signs for a year at the nature center.
• Receive a certificate of sponsorship, a fact sheet about the animal, and a special gift*.
• Get the opportunity to experience a private, behind-the-scenes encounter with all of our animals.
• Receive a “letter from camp” (a mid-year update) from your sponsored animal.

Animals available to sponsor:
American toad, grey tree frog, five-lined skink, painted turtle, spotted turtle, musk turtle, spotted salamander, black rat snake, corn snakes.

*Gift subject to change based upon availability.

Fitness Zone – $50,000
Fitness Zones® are comprised of a cluster of exercise equipment permanently placed in a select area of a park, making it easier for residents of all ages to include a fitness regimen in their daily routine as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Shade Structures At Playgrounds & Dog Park – $15,000
Every day of the year, children, families, and their canines gather at the many playgrounds and Worthington dog park. Your sponsorship would fund a new structure to allow visitors to find a little shade.

Sponsor An Exhibit – $5,000-$20,000
Our museums, nature center and community center host educational exhibits ranging from the history of trains in Ellicott City to Howard County’s agriculture over the centuries to a train caboose. Sponsor a temporary (or permanent) exhibit with your company name prominently displayed.

ADA Tour Bus With Bathroom – $50,000
Support our trips, tours, camps, and after-school activities by making transportation easy for all members of the community.

Splash Pads By Playgrounds – $20,000
Help encourage citizens to play outdoors even during those hot, summer months.

Sustainable Giveaways – Prices Vary
Support our trips, tours, camps, events, and activities by providing current and perspective participants sustainable giveaways with HCRP and your company logo. (Examples include metal or bamboo straws, water bottles, lunch boxes, soy crayons, or reusable bags).

In-Kind Sponsorships And Tailor-Made Packages Are Welcome!
In addition to cash sponsors there are many in-kind services that you or your company may wish to consider. All services will receive sponsor recognition at cost value. The below are examples of opportunities; please contact us to discuss the right sponsorship for your business.

Advertising/Marketing | Magazine, Newspaper, Radio, Transit, Television, Web-Based Marketing

Printing | Fliers, t-shirts, brochures, promotional materials, banners

Landscaping | Floral, plants, decorative arrangements

Transportation/Vehicles | Golf or utility carts, shuttle service transportation for large events & trips

Entertainment | Title sponsorship for stage entertainment, band fees, movies

VIP & Sponsorship Tents | Food, beverages, decorations

Signage | Banners, signs or fliers on fields and indoors

Tents | For large and small events

School Trips | Help us provide school field trips for the 12 Title 1 schools in the county

Displays | Sponsor permanent and temporary exhibits or research projects

Programs | Sponsor a class/activity, ex: STEAM programs, fitness, therapeutic recreation, and more.

There are space limitations at events and locations. Preference is on a first-come, first-served within price brackets.

For youth-oriented and facility-based opportunities, HCRP shall exclude those establishments purveying goods and services for purchase only for customers 18 years and older. Additionally, ads promoting alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or pornography are prohibited from partnership opportunities with youth-oriented programs.

Political advertisements, defined as those partnerships promoting a particular candidate, political affiliation, or political position regardless of the timing of a ballot issue, shall be expressly prohibited. This restriction shall not prohibit a person appointed or elected to office from partnering with the department to promote a business they may own or operate.

Message Content: Sponsorships on Howard County property are maintained as a nonpublic forum.

The County intends to preserve its rights and discretion to exercise full editorial control over the placement, content, appearance, and wording of sponsorship affiliations and messages. The County may make distinctions on the appropriateness of sponsors on the basis of subject matter of a potential sponsorship recognition message.

The County will not deny sponsorship opportunities on the basis of the potential sponsor’s viewpoint.

Permissible Recognition Messages: Sponsorship recognition messages placed on County property or in County media may identify the sponsor but should not promote or endorse the organization or its products or services.

Statements that advocate, request a response, or contain comparative or qualitative descriptions, products, services, or organizations will not be accepted.

All sponsorships must be paid in full prior to starting the sponsorship. For example, a banner will not be displayed until the payment has cleared.

Please fill out the below writable PDF with your payment.

For more information, please contact Anna Hunter at ahunter@howardcountymd.gov or Cara Marshall at cmarshall@howardcountymd.gov. 

The cost of the tree program is $500 per tree. (Fee is subject to change.)

The tree species, location, and planting date are at the discretion of the Recreation & Parks Department. Trees are planted during the fall and spring planting seasons, but they may be ordered at any time.

Howard County Recreation & Parks guarantee the health and vigor of trees for a period not to exceed three years from the date of planting. The Department replaces any damaged memorial tree within a one-year period. 

Tree memorial plaques are available at certain park locations upon request and at an additional cost. The type of plaque available depends on the site and is at the discretion of the park staff. Please discuss your preference with the park staff in which you will work with.

Memorial Request From

Note: Centennial Park has reached its maximum capacity for memorial tree and bench donations.

Memorial Tree List

Flowering Trees

• Redbud
• Flowering Dogwood (Appalachian Series)
• Sweetbay magnolia
• Cucumbertree (magnolia)
• Umbrella magnolia
• Sourwood
• Juneberry (fruit bearing)

Shade Trees

• Post oak
• Red oak
• Scarlet oak
• Shingle oak
• Southern red oak
• Swamp white oak
• White oak
• Black gum
• Red maple
• Sugar maple
• Sassafras (colonizer)
• Baldcypress (prefers wet areas)
• American beech
• River birch
• American elm (resistant cultivars only – Jefferson, New Harmony, Valley Forge)
• Honeylocust (thornless cultivars only)
• Kentucky Coffeetree
• American Basswood

Fruit Bearing

• Pawpaw
• Persimmon

Evergreen

• American holly (prefer cultivars Miss Helen or Satyr Hill)
• Red cedar (there are some nice cultivars available)

The cost for each bench is $3,000. (Fee is subject to change.) This includes the bench, installation and a commemorative plaque.

The Recreation & Parks Park Manager assists in choosing the location of the bench. The park benches are of a predetermined style and cannot vary. A standard plaque is placed on memorial benches and the name of the loved one will be inscribed on the plaque. The cost of the plaque is included in the bench program fee. 

The plaque allows for forty (40) characters (including spaces). However, for an additional fee, twenty (20) characters can be added to the plaque. 

Bench installation depends on the time of year received and the number of preceding orders. The Department makes every effort to install benches within three to six months of your order, however we encourage time sensitive requests be submitted early. Once a bench is installed, the donor receives notification. 

Memorial Request From

Note: Centennial Park has reached its maximum capacity for memorial tree and bench donations.

Parks

• Alpha Ridge Park
• Atholton Park
• Cedar Lane Park
• Cedar Villa Heights Park
• Cypressmede Park
• Dayton Oaks Park
• Dickinson Park
• Guilford Park
• Hammond Park
• Harwood Park
• High Ridge Park
• Huntington Park
• Martin Road Park
• Meadowbrook Park
• North Laurel Park
• Rockburn Branch Park
• Savage Park
• Sewells Orchard Park
• Tiber Park
• Troy Park at Elkridge
• Waterloo Park
• Western Regional Park
• Wincopin Trail
• Worthington Dog Park

Facilities

• Meadowbrook Athletic Complex
• North Laurel Community Center
• Roger Carter Community Center
• Timbers at Troy Golf Course

If the donor wishes, a card of acknowledgement is sent to the recipient’s family advising that their loved one has been memorialized or honored in a special way.

Memorial Request Form

Donna Szyman
410-313-4647
dszyman@howardcountymd.gov