By Laura Ringo, Executive Director for Partners for Active Living

One of my favorite places is a park in my hometown of Maryville, Tennessee called Sandy Springs Park. The park is a treasured community gathering place along a creek and extensive greenway system.

Regardless of my phase in life, I have been drawn to the park. I grew up playing there as a child, hit tennis balls on the courts with friends in middle school, logged MANY miles running cross country in high school on the trail that bordered the park, and now I take my child there to play when I return to visit family. In my return visits as an adult, I have noticed and appreciated the diverse groups using the various amenities.

A multi-generational space like this is needed in the urban area of the Spartanburg community. We have wonderful destinations – a vibrant downtown square, neighborhood parks, a spectacular skate park, beautiful trails and creeks, but I haven’t found a place that regularly brings together a wide variety of ages, races, and abilities to simply play.

Partners for Active Living, in partnership with many including Mary Black Foundation and the City of Spartanburg, is hoping to create this type of space on the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail. This space will be a park for all residents.

To learn about the proposed plan and share your opinion, click here

To contribute financially to the project, consider funding a tree for the space. These come with dedication plaques: www.active-living.org/productsforsale

For more about PAL, visit our website at www.active-living.org