It’s encouraging those who don’t frequent the park to see how nice it is and enjoying the amenities that are available to the entire community.  

When I first heard about Houston Parks Board’s plan to create miles of continuous bayou pathways, my first thought was, “How will that impact my community, and will my community get their share of those dollars and trails?” When Lisa of Houston Parks Board came to our civic association, she showed us a grand plan that was inclusive of our community, and we still weren’t sure if it would happen. But they followed through. They delivered. There were places where trails were put years ago that were in disrepair, and they put maintenance on it to make sure that, 6 months later, there aren’t overgrown weeds and a trail no one will use again. It gave everybody in the community a sense that they were serious about connecting citizens to the Bayou Greenways projects.

We’ve seen a big difference since the trails were put in. My grandkids are 7 and 9. These trails are clean, safe and wide—there’s so much space for them to ride around in. Our community has gotten the sense that this is a project that is inclusive of everyone. They said what they were gonna do, they did it, they delivered it, and it was as good as they said it was going to be. And they’re going to continue with that work with this new resting area at Martin Luther King Boulevard. It’s going to be a nook park with trees and benches. They bought the land there and took the initiative to enhance the trail and put this little park in. We’re really excited about it. 

Thank you to Charles C. for sharing his story!

He had a pickup truck, and we wore that thing out pulling the water trailer around. If it hadn’t been for him, we never could have done it, but we did. We’ve planted trees in all four Alief parks. And well, we’ve planted about six thousand trees, all through volunteering and little, if any, money. The whole park has changed—we’ve added picnic tables, barbecue pits, and even softball bleachers.

When I first started planting, there was a kid whose parents would bring him to the park every day for fresh air. He had cerebral palsy. I remember him looking at what I was doing and saying to me, “Hurry up with those trees because it’s too hot out here!” Now he’s graduated from high school and still goes to the park. When I see him now, we joke with each other. I say, “How do you like those trees?” And we just laugh because now so many areas of the park are completely shaded. I know it sounds like a small thing, but when you’re not able to get around quickly, and it gets to a hundred degrees, it’s nice to have some shade. It makes the experience something everyone can enjoy. 

The thing is, this is our home and we can take care of it. We can take a handful of milkweed seeds and toss them onto the ground and grow something beautiful. We can meet people and our lives can change before we know it. In the next 18 months, we’ll have trails here. I couldn’t be more excited. Somehow we went from nothing to all of this. 

Thank you to Barbara Q. for sharing her story!

At first, I led short distances. I didn’t think we’d make it through that first mile. But gradually we built up and finished a half marathon, and then a full marathon. It was my first view of what parks could be. Now we train all the time. 

We have free 5Ks every first and last Sunday of the month, hosted by the Houston Wellness Center. We train for Chevron and runs across the nation, like Big Sur. We run White Oak Bayou, George Bush Park, Memorial Park, Buffalo Bayou. We go downtown, by the aquarium. We run all summer, hot or cold. In a city like Houston, it’s possible to do that. I feel like we are blessed in Houston. We have so much space. I can’t believe all of this is available to us, right in the middle of the city. 

Running together has changed us. One of our runners is a young man who was in the navy. During his exit physical, he discovered a family history of high blood pressure. Even though he was only 22 at the time, he had the option of taking pills or making changes in his life. He chose running. Now his health is under control. And he’s not the only one. Four or five of our runners have actually gone med-free because of running. One of our most elite runners has arthritis and lupus. Running has kept her pain manageable.

We do everything and anything that promotes a positive lifestyle and helping one another. We visit nursing homes. We volunteer during the holidays. When one of the ladies in our group was diagnosed with breast cancer last Fall, we took turns bringing weekly meals. It’s all about giving back to each other. It lifts us up and keeps us going.

Thank you to Oanh K. for sharing her story!

You make it possible for Houston Parks Board to develop big, bold, visionary projects like Bayou Greenways 2020 and improve some of Houston’s most well-loved parks. As we build on this success and work to connect Houstonians with their green space, we thank you, once again, for joining us with your donation.

Will you make a gift to Houston Parks Board to support our parks, trails, and green space today? 

June Memorial Hermann Matching Challenge 

Individual Giving and Park Leadership Circle

June Memorial Hermann Matching Challenge

Bayou Greenways 2020

Individual Giving and Park Leadership Circle

Park Projects

Luncheon

READ THEIR STORIES & HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Trails For Everyone

A Handful of Milkweed Seeds

Running at Sunrise