City of Austin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERelease Date:
The community joined City officials and partners to celebrate the Davis-White Northeast Neighborhood Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) in collaboration with the San Antonio Spurs and the Austin Parks Foundation (APF) inaugurated Davis-White Northeast Neighborhood Park improvements at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday, February 16.
The community joined City officials and partners to celebrate upgraded basketball goals, the replacement of the playscape for ages 5 to 12, replacement of swings, an additional arch swing with a saucer style swing set, ADA benches, and an interpretive marker.
Spanning almost 20 acres, Davis-White Northeast Neighborhood Park was renamed in 2007 after two Austin heroes, Captain Willie Ray Davis and Captain Louie White, who pioneered the breaking of racial barriers by becoming the first African Americans appointed to leadership positions in the City of Austin Fire and Police Departments, respectively.
"We are thrilled by the transformation of Davis-White Park," stated Jesús Aguirre, Austin Parks and Recreation Director. "This project demonstrates the power of collaboration with our community and other valued partners. High-quality parks and recreation spaces are critical to the vibrancy of our great city, and these renovations and new amenities provide a space for the community to gather, play, and foster connections while also continuing to honor the contributions of local African American heroes."
"Austin Parks Foundation, alongside Austin Parks and Recreation, is grateful to continue this partnership with Spurs Give with our first project completion of the year in Davis-White Park," said Colin Wallis, CEO of Austin Parks Foundation. "Partnerships like these help our team amplify the importance of community in our city's parks and give more recreational options for kids to enjoy, whether that's on the basketball court or the playscape."
"Play ATX is our way of honoring and celebrating Spurs fans in Austin by creating safe, accessible spaces for play and connection," said Dr. Kara Allen, Chief People, Impact and Belonging Officer at Spurs Sports & Entertainment. "Thanks to the support of our partners, this space will allow multi-generational neighbors and athletes alike to develop their leadership skills and build their legacies on and beyond the court."
The park improvements honor the park’s history while protecting the pecan trees which provides much-needed shade on hot days. The new park design is a result of a collaborative effort incorporating valuable community input with Parks and Recreation maintenance and forestry divisions’ feedback to create a vibrant and inviting public space.
The project was made possible by municipal bonds for essential public projects as well as funding from Austin Parks Foundation and Spurs Give, the official nonprofit of Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
About Austin Parks Foundation
Founded in 1992, Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is dedicated to partnering with our community to enhance people’s lives by making our public parks, trails and green spaces better through volunteerism, innovative programming, advocacy and financial support. To learn more or get involved, visit austinparks.org.
The community joined City officials and partners to celebrate upgraded basketball goals, the replacement of the playscape for ages 5 to 12, replacement of swings, an additional arch swing with a saucer style swing set, ADA benches, and an interpretive marker.
Spanning almost 20 acres, Davis-White Northeast Neighborhood Park was renamed in 2007 after two Austin heroes, Captain Willie Ray Davis and Captain Louie White, who pioneered the breaking of racial barriers by becoming the first African Americans appointed to leadership positions in the City of Austin Fire and Police Departments, respectively.
"We are thrilled by the transformation of Davis-White Park," stated Jesús Aguirre, Austin Parks and Recreation Director. "This project demonstrates the power of collaboration with our community and other valued partners. High-quality parks and recreation spaces are critical to the vibrancy of our great city, and these renovations and new amenities provide a space for the community to gather, play, and foster connections while also continuing to honor the contributions of local African American heroes."
"Austin Parks Foundation, alongside Austin Parks and Recreation, is grateful to continue this partnership with Spurs Give with our first project completion of the year in Davis-White Park," said Colin Wallis, CEO of Austin Parks Foundation. "Partnerships like these help our team amplify the importance of community in our city's parks and give more recreational options for kids to enjoy, whether that's on the basketball court or the playscape."
"Play ATX is our way of honoring and celebrating Spurs fans in Austin by creating safe, accessible spaces for play and connection," said Dr. Kara Allen, Chief People, Impact and Belonging Officer at Spurs Sports & Entertainment. "Thanks to the support of our partners, this space will allow multi-generational neighbors and athletes alike to develop their leadership skills and build their legacies on and beyond the court."
The park improvements honor the park’s history while protecting the pecan trees which provides much-needed shade on hot days. The new park design is a result of a collaborative effort incorporating valuable community input with Parks and Recreation maintenance and forestry divisions’ feedback to create a vibrant and inviting public space.
The project was made possible by municipal bonds for essential public projects as well as funding from Austin Parks Foundation and Spurs Give, the official nonprofit of Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
About Austin Parks Foundation
Founded in 1992, Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is dedicated to partnering with our community to enhance people’s lives by making our public parks, trails and green spaces better through volunteerism, innovative programming, advocacy and financial support. To learn more or get involved, visit austinparks.org.
About Spurs Sports & Entertainment
Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) is a value-based and community-centric sports and entertainment company that provides premier live and global digital experiences for fans across a portfolio of three teams and several first-class venues in South Texas – all supported by a staff of more than 1,000 full and part-time employees. SS&E owns and operates the San Antonio Spurs (NBA), Austin Spurs (NBA G League), and San Antonio FC (USL), as well as manages the day-to-day operations of the Frost Bank Center, The Rock at La Cantera, Toyota Field and Ricos STAR Soccer Complex. The SS&E investor group is led by Managing Partner Peter J. Holt.