May is National Lupus Awareness Month. Please join us this Saturday at the East Parkway Pavilion for the Virginia Davis Lupus 5K Walk sponsered by the Memphis Chapter Lupus Foundation. Registration starts at 8:00 am and the walk at 9:00 am.
MEMPHIS, Tennessee (May 14, 2012)―The Assisi Foundation has announced the award of a $500,000 grant to Overton Park Conservancy. The funding will be used for cultural and educational programs, activities and signature events designed to attract the entire family, support of Overton Park operations and capital improvements.
“As a nonprofit organization, Overton Park Conservancy is tasked with raising funds to cover the park’s operations and capital needs,” said Tina Sullivan, executive director. “This generous gift by the Assisi Foundation is a vote of confidence in the Conservancy, and adds to our financial strength.”
The Assisi Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations serving the Mid South, primarily in areas of health care, education, literacy, community enhancement, and civic and cultural programs.
The Memphis City Council approved an agreement with the Conservancy in December 2011, transferring management of the public park areas and Old Forest State Natural Area to the nonprofit organization.
“We still must raise about $1.1 million in the coming months to meet the park’s needs for the initial five years,” said Sullivan. “The conservancy has received an impressive number of new memberships, and individual donations and public contributions are growing steadily.”
Several capital projects are underway and scheduled for completion this summer, including an off-leash dog park, restrooms, and playground improvements.
Deanie Parker
Overton Park Conservancy
(901) 412.8720
Overton Bark Grand Opening event sponsored by Hollywood Feed! The kickoff event, sponsored by YoLo, will begin with a 1-mile fun walk/dog parade, followed by remarks from Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Overton Park Conservancy’s Tina Sullivan and George Cates, and Hollywood Feed president Shawn McGhee. After a “leash-cutting,” participants and their dogs will be welcomed into a celebration at the new dog park, featuring several local bands, food, free yogurt from YoLo, contests, prizes and more. All proceeds will go to benefit The Streetdog Foundation and the Overton Park Conservancy.
8:00 am – Registration for the 1-mile fun walk/dog parade (Overton Square)
9:00 – 9:45 am – 1-mile fun walk/dog parade
10:00 am – Welcome and comments by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and others
10:20 am – Leash-cutting, live music from Wuvbirds, Side Street Steppers, Walrus and The Theoretical Monkeys; food truck rodeo; and more.
2:00 pm – Event ends
South of the Rainbow Lake playground and pavilion at Overton Park in midtown. Click here for map. (NOTE: 1-mile fun walk/dog parade to start at Overton Square)
Festival admission FREE. 1-mile fun walk/dog parade, $15 in advance and $20 day-of, includes an event T-shirt, YoLo froyo and hot dogs. 10 x 10′ vendor space is $50. All proceeds will go to benefit The Streetdog Foundation and the Overton Park Conservancy.
This summer’s Speak Up survey was the first step in creating a community vision for Overton Park. One of the problems identified by the survey is the lack of safe bicycle/pedestrian connections into the park from surrounding neighborhoods. We just took our first step to build better connections by installing 300 feet of much-needed sidewalk along Morrie Moss Lane.
This $7,900 project was jointly funded by the Evergreen Historic District Association, the Memphis Zoo, and the OPC. The Memphis Zoo’s operations director, Sally Harper, did an excellent job as project manager. We’ll keep working together with our many partners to make access safer for pedestrians and cyclists, one path at a time.
Memphis Public Works will begin work adjacent to the Overton Bark site today in order to repair 200 feet of collapsed retaining wall along Lick Creek. The City’s contractor will need to clear vegetation along the west bank of the creek to allow space to build the new wall.
Update 4/27: The City has not begun work yet, but we are assured it will happen soon.
The Conservancy requested the help of Mayor AC Wharton to have Old Forest Lane, between the Memphis College of Art and the Rainbow Lake parking lot at the Old Forest, resurfaced. The surface was badly deteriorated, and as this is soon to become even more used than at present (when Overton Bark opens, followed by the new Rainbow playground, and also the primary Greenline route into the Park through the Old Forest onto Old Forest Lane), its improvement became a priority. The Mayor responded quickly, and Robert Knecht, Edward Bond, and their hard-working crew at Public Works did a fine job in making this important upgrade.
Overton Bark - View from trail
MEMPHIS, Tennessee (April 12, 2012)―The Overton Park Conservancy’s revitalization efforts will include a feature that is sure to be enjoyed by park visitors as well as their four-legged friends. The nonprofit organization broke ground on the new “Overton Bark” dog park in March with plans to complete it by June.
“Dogs have always been frequent visitors to Overton Park,” remarked George Cates, acting executive director of Overton Park Conservancy. “Now, they will also have a fenced-in park where they can socialize with other pets.”
$175,000 is the total budgeted cost of the project being built by Wagner General Contractors, Inc. and designed by Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects, Inc. Overton Bark’s general contract expense is $147,000 and the balance will be spent on signs, landscaping and other necessary aesthetics.
Appropriately, Hollywood Feed, a locally-owned natural and holistic pet food merchant, is the sponsor for Overton Bark.
“As a locally-owned business, we feel it is very important to give back to the very community that supports us,” remarks Shawn McGhee, Hollywood Feed President. “Hollywood Feed was born and raised in midtown so it seems only fitting that we support the Overton Bark dog park. Our goal is to bring health and joy to pets and pet owners everywhere, in our stores and beyond. And, this sponsorship opportunity allowed us to do just that.”
Overton Bark, which will be located on Old Forest Lane, near the Rainbow Lake playground, will have an area for small dogs and another for large dogs; and, there’ll be water fountains and agility obstacles for dogs.
“We expect Overton Bark to be one of the most active areas in the park,” says Cates. “In visiting with other markets such as Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, we found that similar dog parks account for 20% of a park’s attendance, and we think Memphis is no exception given our city’s love for and support of our pet population. We look forward to bringing pets and their owners together to celebrate one of our city’s greatest assets.”
For more information about Overton Park, visit http://www.overtonpark.org. For more information about Hollywood Feed, visit http://www.hollywoodfeed.com.
Deanie Parker
Overton Park Conservancy
(901) 412.8720
Beth Okeon
Hollywood Feed
bokeon@comcast.net
This Friday AM990 will host a fundraiser to help preserve the history and the beauty of the Overton Park golf course and clubhouse. Read More…
Overton Park Members Pack
Show your love and support for Overton Park by becoming a Park Member today. Your contributions help keep Overton Park clean and green for everyone to enjoy.
Park Members receive an Overton Park Members Pack which includes: (1) Overton Park t-shirt, bumper sticker and Conservancy sticker. Family Memberships receive 2 shirts. Park Members also receive exclusive updates, offers and community benefits. As our Park Membership Benefits grow, your membership will grow with it.
