Atlanta has amazing parks all over the city that bring the community together in unique ways. Through my recent engagement with Park Pride, I’ve learned that great parks don’t just come together overnight. It takes a community effort to plan, clean, fund, and build these greenspaces that we often take for granted.
I witnessed this effort first-hand when my dad and neighbors came together to build Little Nancy Creek Park (located in North Buckhead in what was an abandoned flood zone overgrown with privet) with the support of Park Pride and the City of Atlanta. A small group of volunteers worked hard to create a ‘Friends of the Park’ group and participated in a Park Visioning Program to set the park’s overall master plan. Several years, volunteer days, and Park Pride grants later, Little Nancy Creek Park is a thriving community space that is the center of the neighborhood with a playground, garden, gazebo, trails, picnic tables, bridges and more.
There are several parks across Atlanta that have similar stories. Vine City Park in Vine City, Springbrook Park in DeKalb County, and Jennie Drake Park in Collier Heights are just a few examples.
However, there is still so much work to be done in parks across the city, which is why I’m organizing a fundraising and volunteer team for Plaid Palooza on November 4th.
At Plaid Palooza, I will work with 200 volunteers at Historic Fourth Ward Park on projects that will complete part of the park’s master plan. Meanwhile, the funds my team and I raise will benefit Park Pride programs that make it possible for neighbors to bring great parks to life in their communities.
Park Pride has shown me that when you set a goal and gather together a strong team of motivated Atlantans, big change can happen. Will you join me to raise funds for Park Pride and make a transformative difference in parks across our city?
