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Partners for Parks Helps Keep Scholarship Fund Teed-Up

A popular golf fundraiser in our region was able to swing for the moon this year thanks to its first-ever partnership with Partners for Parks. The 6th Moon Shine Golf Event – a glow-in-the-dark tournament – scored $3750 for the North Carolina Recreation & Parks Scholarship Foundation.

"It’s a really great tournament, and people enjoy it," says Byron Haigler, the Assistant Director of Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks, co-hosts of the tournament.  “Players love the format, and we like the money it brings in for our scholarship fund.”

Haigler hatched the night-golf tournament in 2014 with an organizer at Monroe Country Club. The field is limited to 15 teams of 4, and fills up every year without advertising. Players’ entry fees include a BBQ dinner, and glow-in-the dark LED ball and neckband. They can also pay for Mulligans and raffle tickets to win additional prizes. This year’s tournament included sponsored masks and hand sanitizer in every player’s swag bag, with directions for social distancing for COVID. Everyone had a “ball,” says Haigler.

“It took the seriousness of the tournament out of it, it changed everyone's attitudes, and everyone had fun,” says Haigler. Entrants played the back 9 of Monroe Country Club during the daylight hours, then ate dinner watching the sunset as the fairways lit up with “runway lights” and flashing beacons at each hole. Then they played the front 9 in the dark, with flashlights on their golf carts and marshals on every hole to ensure safety. The course is reversed, says Haigler, because the first 9 holes have fewer hazards like water.

Haigler wasn’t sure the popular tournament could proceed this year, as all of the NC Recreation & Park Association fundraisers in the region were canceled for COVID. The state association was hesitant to proceed, but Haigler and the Director of Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks, Londa Strong, turned to Partners for Parks to handle the financial duties.

“Doing it through Partners for Parks allowed us to have the tournament,” says Strong.  “All of our fundraising has been nipped in the bud this year, but this really helped.”

Strong says organizers doubled down on safety, serving boxed dinners instead of a buffet, and encouraging players to spread out while they ate. Musco Lighting, maker of LED sports lighting equipment, sponsored masks, and hand sanitizer for every player. Winners were notified later instead of at an awards ceremony.

The Monroe Country Club offered free passes to raffle winners, and the Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks chipped in with free cabin stays for winners, too. The savings on raffle prizes allowed the group to give more money than ever to the scholarship fund, thanks to the partnership that allowed the tournament to take place.

“It's very rewarding knowing that we can provide the money for the scholarship foundation,” says Strong. She says the agency was excited to partner with Partners for Parks to be a member, expanding its reach beyond Mecklenburg County, and is looking forward to more projects with the foundation.

"Without Partners for Parks,” she says, “it would not be as easy to fund our projects."

"Our partnership with Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks is a perfect example of how we partner with regional groups", says Al Brown, Treasurer of Partners for Parks.  "We are honored to able to assist in providing scholarships to the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Scholarship Foundation."

by Woland Web

Partners for Parks wins Lehman Award

For 24 years, Partners for Parks has been Breathing Life into our Community with grassroots projects that serve the greater Charlotte region. Now, the nonprofit’s work to preserve, promote, and enhance parks, greenways, and open spaces for all is being recognized nationally with a prestigious Lehman Award for Park Foundation Excellence from the National Association of Park Foundations. Partners for Parks is one of 5 foundations recognized with a Lehman Award in the NAPF’s national virtual celebration on October 16, 2020.

"We are very honored to receive this prestigious award that recognizes what we have done," said Partners for Parks Treasurer Al Brown, accepting the award for Regional Support during the NAPF's virtual celebration. "We are dedicated to advocating for parks, greenways, open spaces, nature centers, and recreation programs for all ages.”

Charlotte's Partners for Parks is best known for the popular Open Streets 704 events and the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Trials, which had an estimated $1 million local impact when they were held in Charlotte. The foundation provides a funding vehicle for 80 different local friends of parks groups and foundations, and has allocated more than $400,000 for parks programs and program scholarships for kids since its inception in 1996.

“The recognition they gave us was for the vast umbrella we've become for the regional foundation -- 80 different projects we're supporting,” says Brown. “We were blessed that they decided to recognize us.”

Other projects that set Partners for Parks apart from other groups were the Friends of Hickory downtown market playground, beautiful Dogwood Park at Wesley Chapel’s sports complex, and the Newtown Playground at Charlotte’s Park Road Park, which was a tribute to the children killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012.

The Lehman Award is named for Ron Lehman, a commissioner in his park district in Illinois for more than 40 years, who served more than 10 years as the President of the Illinois Association of Park Districts. As a founder of the National Association of Park Foundations, he understood the importance of community fundraising for local parks. The NAPF is a way for local foundations to learn best practices and share documents and processes.

"Philanthropy is there at a local level if led by local leadership," explained Lehman during the virtual awards. "If you team up park and recreation staff with citizens in a community, a lot can happen with park and recreation and quality of life, that isn't possible when professionals are working with a limited budget."

As budgets feel constrained from the economics of 2020, and residents seek the outdoors as a way to ease the stress of working from home, the work of park foundations will be more important than ever. The goal of Partners for Parks beyond 2020 is to make sure everyone in the region has access to a park they can enjoy.

"Our focus in 2020 is advocacy -- to make sure everyone has equal access to parks, greenways, and recreational facilities across the Charlotte region, regardless of race, income, or zip code," Brown told the virtual audience from his home in Charlotte. "Parks and greenways are truly gathering spaces in our community that are critical to the health and well-being of ALL of our citizens."

Beth Poovey, President of Partners for Parks, echoes Brown’s vision of the work ahead creating equity across local park systems.

“Parks play a critical role in the health and well-being of our communities,” says Poovey. “During this time of COVID, the need to ensure equal access to open spaces for everyone has become even more apparent. Our entire community needs safe places to reconnect, exercise, play, and relax.”

The Lehman Award reflects the work Partners for Parks has done to enhance park and recreation opportunities over the last 24 years, but there is still work to do as the Charlotte region expands.

"We are dedicated to fulfilling our vision, which is to Breathe Life into our Community," says Brown.

by Woland Web

Hot Dog! Check These Parks in Mecklenburg County

With fall weather feeling like it’s finally settled in, everyone’s excited to get a little outside time. Count our four-legged friends among that group! We've gotten well acquainted with neighborhood walks during our stay-inside time, but we also yearn to get out for some social-distance dog socializing, right?

Mecklenburg County has you covered with 6 different Dog Parks where Spot can stretch his legs without being on a leash. Just remember, their vaccinations need to be up-to-date, you need to clean up after them, and they respectfully request that female dogs in heat stay home. Also, you can't bring children under 12 into off-leash areas -- that's for their safety. https://parkandrec.mecknc.gov/Places-to-Visit/Dog-Parks

These parks are located around the county, so there's probably one within a few miles of where you live:

1. South Charlotte - Davie Dog Park, 4635 Pineville-Matthews Road. This is a really beautiful park with shaded trails for some on-leash exercise, and two divided, fenced-in areas: one for dogs over 20 lbs., and one for smaller dogs. Partners for Parks helped expand this dog park a few years ago to a full five acres, and made sure pups on both sides of the fence have some cool, fresh drinking water. 

2. Uptown Charlotte - Frazier Park, along I-77 near West Trade and Sycamore Streets. A smaller urban park at 1.3 acres, Frazier Park also has subdivided areas for big and small dogs. The larger 16.5-acre park it's in is connected to two popular greenways (Irwin and Stewart Creek), and is popular for uptown dwellers who need an off-leash break for their dogs.

3. Lake Norman - Swaney Pointe K-9 Park, at Ramsey Creek Park on Nantz Road in Cornelius. A 4-acre fenced-in area is divided for big and small dogs, as part of this 43.7-acre beachfront park. The beach is closed this summer, but the rest of the park is open, and you don't need to pay to get in if you're going to the dog park.

4. University Area - Barkingham Park, at Reedy Creek Park on Rocky River Road. If nothing else, you've gotta love the name of this dog park -- elegant, yet dog-friendly. Barkingham Park is four acres of a much larger (146 acre) county park that also includes a nature center, athletic fields, ponds, picnic shelters, and 2 playgrounds. It is adjacent to a 727-acre nature preserve with 10 miles of on-leash hiking trails if you need to wear your pup out with a walk first. 

5. Near Matthews - Ray's Fetching Meadow, at McAlpine Creek Community Park. The dog park here is small -- just one acre -- but the larger park around it is scenic for a nice walk with your leashed dog. Home to a 5k Championship Cross Country course, there is also a 3-acre lake, 2 trails, and an outdoor fitness center. McAlpine Creek Greenway runs through it and connects to Campbell Creek Greenway at one end. 

6. Mountain Island Lake - Shuffletown Park, on Belhaven Blvd., near Brookshire Blvd. and I-485. This is a big park with a 4-acre area divided for big and small dogs and a few athletic fields, adjacent to Long Creek, about 15 miles from Uptown. 

Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation is also installing another dog park in west Charlotte, as part of a plan to provide the kind of amenities people ask for as our county expands.

"As Mecklenburg County continues to grow and the population grows, and we're not making more land, we're being urbanized," says Alex Rohleder, the South Region Park Manager for MCP&R. "You have to have that alternative space for humans and their pets."

Rohleder says even if there isn't a designated fenced-in area just for dogs at a county park, our four-legged friends are always welcome as long as they're well-behaved and on a leash. Just remember to bring baggies and clean up!

All of the dog parks have fresh water, drains, and a hydrant, and amenities may be added to future parks as they're needed.

"We're always adjusting to the environments we're in and the people," says Rohleder. "It's good to provide services for the needs of the community we live in." And their dogs, of course!

Mecklenburg County Park & Rec also includes a way for you to help improve dog parks through Partners for Parks. The link to donate is on their Dog Parks web page, just make sure to type "Dog Park Fund" in the designations field. https://partnersforparks.org/#funds

by Woland Web

Water, Water, Everywhere -- And For Every Drop, You Think

Stevens Creek Nature Center in Mint Hill Opens Soon

More than 2/3 of the earth is water, and we know it's important! We drink it, we cook with it, we shower and swim in it, and out in the open we fish, boat, and even surf in it. Yet even though it's all around us, there's a lot we don't know about it.

Come mid-October, there's a place you can learn more about how our interaction with water -- creeks, streams, oceans, rivers -- affects us. That's when Stevens Creek Nature Center in Mint Hill is projected to open to the public. Built on Stevens Creek and the adjoining wetlands, the county's first park & recreation facility in Mint Hill is devoted to science education about water.

"We bought this property to protect the water and the streams, so we're going to make the theme about watersheds and streams," says Chris Matthews, the Division Director for Nature Preserves and Natural Resources for Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation. "The building is designed to be nature-centric."

In fact, the county bought the preserve's 275 acres in order to preserve the watersheds that are home to the endangered Carolina Heelsplitter mussel. There are only two known habitats for the endangered mussel in North Carolina, because they are sensitive to pollutants and need cool, shaded water capable of hosting fish in order to survive and reproduce.

The Carolina Heelsplitter hasn't been seen in Stevens Creek for a while, but Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services restored the badly-eroded stream to make it more habitable to aquatic life. The county hopes the Heelsplitter makes a comeback, and the nature center will promote and educate visitors about water quality and habitats (including a 5-foot Heelsplitter replica).

"There are big, interactive exhibits -- a watershed, a pirate ship, and an AR digital sandbox you can dig your hands into and build mountains and streams with projectors," says Matthews, whose educational background is in freshwater ecology and conservation biology. He had a lot of visionary involvement in the center's development and design. "There are parts that are really cool," he adds, like a kid who's excited about opening a big gift on his birthday.

The Nature Center is built to fit in with its watershed environment. The entrance floats over "bioretention" rain gardens, and runoff from the roof is channeled and filtered through water features around the site before draining to the creek. There's even a waterfall that can be turned on and off. Water, water, everywhere, as the Ancient Mariner would say.

"The whole feeling of the building is my favorite thing," says Matthews. "It's purposeful and funky and people can orient themselves."

The science education is a big part for Matthews. A classroom includes roll-up garage doors to bring students closer to nature when the weather is good. The back porch includes rocking chairs where people can relax. A bridge connects the Nature Center to 5 miles of trails. Summer camps are in its future, and so is a resource for homeschooled students.

"Families that need quality science-based education -- we have a resource that meets state standards," says Matthews. With a biologist's passion, he preaches the importance of education about the waters that humans are naturally drawn to: about teaching environmental responsibility, caring for natural resources, and encouraging people to protect land, water, and animals -- a whole community of animals, in fact, who live in our creeks and depend on humans to be responsible.

"We hope we teach people about a part of nature most people don't think about," he says. "Mecklenburg County is developing rapidly, building neighborhoods and retail centers really fast, so we really have to pay attention to taking care of our natural resources."

He hopes you'll visit Stevens Creek Nature Center, and appreciate water a little more.

by Woland Web

Promoting Parks for All

Promoting Parks for All

Parks are for everyone and equity in parks means everyone should have equal access to parks and green space — regardless of race, income, or zip code. Partners for Parks is everyone’s advocate for safe places to play, engage with each other, and interact with nature. Your tax-deductible donations make all the difference in continuing that work.

We know that parks are truly democratic spaces that provide a gathering point for our community. They are critical to our health and quality of life. But we also know that not all neighborhoods have equal access to quality parks. Partners for Parks was founded to support parks and recreation in all communities, and this year we are focusing our energy on providing access to the benefits parks provide to everyone.

Whether you are renewing your Annual Sponsorship of Partners for Parks or joining us as an Annual Sponsor for the first time, you will be supporting our goal to improve access to parks and green spaces for all members of our community.

In this unusual year, our parks and greenways have been more important than ever as people clamored to be outdoors to enjoy fresh air, be closer to nature, and take advantage of socially-distant opportunities to exercise and spend time with family. Our residents have seen firsthand how parks and ever-expanding greenway systems bring value to Charlotte and surrounding communities. They bring relief from isolation and provide safe and convenient places to walk, ride a bike, or relax. Our Partners for Parks Newsletters have highlighted some of our community’s best outdoor features, as well as our support of Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation’s ongoing planning process that will set a roadmap for future investment. Please visit our website for more details: https://partnersforparks.org/

Partners for Parks also understands the importance of equity in our community and we’re addressing that, too. We are tackling the lack of play opportunities in low-income neighborhoods by being a founding member in a new national non-profit, Partners for Play. Even though we haven’t been able to gather with our neighbors for popular events like Open Streets 704 and the Summer Music Series, our advocacy continues and we need your Annual Sponsorship to accomplish our vision of Breathing Life Into Our Community.

Let’s Celebrate Our Year

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our in-person celebration is being delayed til Spring 2021. But that doesn’t mean our work won’t continue until then. In fact, your partnership is even more vital, as more of us seek the peace, solace, and rejuvenation that can only come from spending time outdoors. As we approach the more agreeable fall weather and the season of giving, there's no reason to wait to make your tax-deductible gift to Partners for Parks. Your Annual Sponsorship is critical to help support next year’s goals of improving equitable access to parks.

Thank you in advance for your partnership – whether this is the first time you’ve considered a partnership or whether you’re a long-time partner, we appreciate your support. Please review the Sponsorship Levels below and decide which level works best for your tax-deductible contribution (link below). We kindly ask that you share this newsletter with a friend, family member, or associate that shares your vision and ours for protecting and advocating for equitable use and access to green spaces. We look forward to the opportunity when we can celebrate together next spring, and hope you stay hopeful and well until we see you then!

Sponsorship Levels

• Presenting - $5000
• Sustaining - $2500
• Premier - $1000
• Patron - $500
• Donor - $250
• Friend - $100

Click here to become a Sponsor

by Woland Web

More to Share, More Ways to Love Getting Outdoors

Charlotte's Shared Streets program has expanded to include 9 streets now, adding 3 new streets in August in the north, northwest, and northeast sides of the city. Stretches of Coker Avenue in Enderly Park, Holland Avenue and Isenhour Street in Druid Hills, and Ruth Drive in Shannon Park all have Shared Streets connecting their neighborhoods with limited car traffic. The 3 new Shared Streets join stretches of Marney Avenue, State Street, and Andrill Terrace/ Summit Avenue from Phase 2 in June; and Romany Road, McClintock Road, and Westfield Road from Phase 1 in May; as places that limit vehicle traffic to make way for bikes and pedestrians.

But what if you want to find your own route, off the well-traveled paths? That's what Partners for Parks Board Member Emily Condon decided to do. Keeping with the same philosophy as Shared Streets, she looked for less-traveled roads and connections to parks and greenways, and came up with her own 9-mile loop that connects Plaza Midwood, NoDa, and Uptown Charlotte. "The idea was born on a Sunday when I wanted to go for a walk, but didn't want to spend time planning a route or backtracking," says Condon. She wanted something around the Central Avenue area, which is already known for being pedestrian- and bike-friendly. She also wanted it to be scenic and comfortable, away from fast cars, and a way to hook up and travel on greenways when possible. "I design outdoor spaces, and wanted to see a good place to walk," says Condon. As a landscape architect by trade, she envisioned what a perfect route would look like. She also wanted to accommodate social distancing, while giving folks a good way to get to know their neighbors. She reached into her toolbox and designed a way to allow neighborhood groups to weigh in and make suggestions. "I set up interactive map online and encouraged our neighborhood committee to draw routes in quiet streets and residential neighborhoods," she says. "We wanted to try to hit as much of the area as we could without backtracking." Partners for Parks Board President Beth Poovey filled in some areas around NoDa with the help of neighbors, and in a couple of weeks the 9-mile loop was on the map -- unofficially. After all, it's a neighborhood concept Condon wants folks to try and share feedback about.

The Loop connects 8 neighborhoods and 6 parks, starting at Veterans Park and rolling east along the Shared Street of McClintock Road. From there, it turns north up The Plaza (or Thomas Street, which could be another potential Shared Street), then through the Belmont neighborhood before hooking up with Little Sugar Creek Greenway through Alexander Street Park and Cordelia Park. A longer extension of the route jogs south at Alexander Street Park and swings through Uptown along 10th Street to First Ward Park, then up Parkwood Avenue and Brevard Street to NoDa. Another potential Shared Street, East 35th Street, covers the north side of the loop before heading back south and zig-zagging its way back through Midwood Park and down to Veterans Park again. Now that she's discovered this nifty route, she would love to see neighbors across the city find similar loops on the East, West, and South sides. The goal is to connect as many parks and greenways as possible on less-traveled neighborhood streets, without repeating sections. She's eager to discover more of them for herself, too. "There are so many cool nooks and crannies across the city that I didn't know about until someone shared a favorite ride," she says. "I look forward to finding more." Have a favorite route? Post them on social media with the hashtag #SharedStreets and tag Partners for Parks!

by Woland Web

Cornelius PARC Virtual Dog Show and Raffle

Join us in supporting Cornelius PARC's Virtual Dog Show and Raffle. Here's how to participate:

How to Enter

Visit Partners for Parks. Once you choose your donation amount, move to “Select a Fund” and choose “Cornelius PARC – General”, then complete the process. It’s that simple! Donations for entry to win baskets and prizes will end at 12 midnight on Friday, September 25, so DON’T MISS OUT! Winners will be notified by phone or email and may pick-up their items at D9 Brewing Company on Saturday, September 26, starting at 4 p.m.

You can do something big or you can do something small, whatever you decide, you will have a chance to win a fabulous prize in return for your kindness! Raffle proceeds will benefit the Cornelius Animal Shelter and Stand for Animals.

Raffle Prizes

WSIC Panther’s Prize Pack
Pet Pilgrimage Gift Basket
Sniff N Rescue Candles
4 Doggie Gift Baskets

by Woland Web

New Director Values Small Town Feel, Big Impact of Davidson Parks

In a space and time with so much uncertainty, at least Leslie Willis has summer camp season in Davidson. As the town’s new director of parks and recreation, the camps provide at least some connection to a “normal” summer.

“I love summer camp time,” said Willis. “It’s such a good and welcome relief from what’s been happening over the past couple of months.”

Davidson Parks and Recreation has been able to provide a limited number of in-person, offsite, and virtual summer camps. Like many folks, Willis and her four-person department have been working a hybrid schedule between home and the Parks and Recreation office, juggling responsibilities of both work and family. Willis said she’s grateful that her kids are old enough to play with each other, make their own lunch, and safely explore their Davidson neighborhood.

A former college volleyball player, Willis met her husband Chris when they were both coaching at the college level in Missouri. She took a job with the parks department in 2011 when Chris got an opportunity as head coach at Davidson.

Willis said she was encouraged to apply for the top job by former director Kathryn Spatz, who retired in December. Willis got the position after a nationwide search—  and a six-month stint as interim director. At Davidson, Willis has managed projects for Plum Creek Park, the Mary Beaty “Tot Lot,” and plans for Beaty Park. Even after nine years with the department, there will be plenty of new opportunities ahead to keep things interesting.

“Navigating through COVID and all of those changes will be a challenge,” admitted Willis, “and recognizing what residents want and need from park and recreation— and how can we move forward to meet those needs safely.”

Willis said her department will provide more outdoor and mobile programming— to spread out people and services— and do more to connect with pockets of the Davidson community that aren’t as easily reached. There will be capital projects to manage, the addition of new parks, and other amenities, too.

Ultimately, parks are for people. Willis recognizes the power in that, and the partnerships she has fostered with neighboring programs in Cornelius and Huntersville.

“I am a people person, and park and recreation gives me the chance to be a people person,” said Willis. “There’s no better job than being able to work in and around the outdoors… helping people see their vision for a piece of land come to life. You really get to see the benefits of what open space does for a person.”

Never visited Davidson parks? Check them out at https://www.townofdavidson.org/130/Parks-Recreation

by Woland Web