On July 13, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, District 12 Council Member Antonio Lewis, Parks & Recreation leadership, Friends of Pittman Park, Park Pride, and Pittsburgh neighborhood residents celebrated refreshed and refurbished amenities in Pittman Park. Park Pride proudly supported these improvements through our Grantmaking Program, with over $150,000 in awards (over two grant cycles) which funded a joint basketball/volleyball court, picnic tables, playground equipment, and a memorial bench.
This joint basketball and volleyball court was voted the #1 needed amenity by the community. Additionally, a local artist, called Art in the Paint, created the Historic Pittsburgh and Pittman labels on the court, as well as the center design. Now, thanks to this court, kids and adults alike have a safe place to enjoy outdoor and recreation and play.
For over 30 years, Park Pride has engaged communities across the city to activate the power of parks. Parks are where neighbors comes together; they make citizens happy, communities strong, and cities sustainable. Park Pride’s programs, leadership, and funding help communities unlock the benefits of greenspace in neighborhoods across Atlanta. We’re committed to this work because we believe that everyone deserves a quality park within walking distance of their home.
Our Grantmaking Program is generously supported by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, The Home Depot Foundation, the City of Atlanta, and others. To date, Park Pride has awarded over $12.7 million to park projects, with over 50% of awards in the past two years going to parks in low-income areas.
The park improvements that Park Pride funds through the Grantmaking Program would not be possible except for Friends of the Park leaders who invest the time and energy to drive improvements forward. Winfrey Young, the Chair of the Friends of Pittman Park and a 2022 Park Pride Inspiration Award winner, is one such leader, credited by those who know her with bringing people back to Pittman Park. Her love of the Pittsburg community and commitment to the park is evident through the effort she has dedicated to bringing the community’s park dreams to life, including (and especially!) this brand new basketball court.
Many thanks to Winfrey, Mayor Dickens, Antonio Lewis, the Department of Parks and recreation, and all of the funders and supporters to helped to make this transformation at Pittman Park possible – we can’t wait to see what’s in store for this activated community greenspace!