John Howell Park Gets $50k Grant

Park Pride announced Tuesday that it has awarded $550,000 in grants to improve metro Atlanta parks, including $50,000 for John Howell Park.

The nonprofit notes that the funds are targeted for sidewalk improvements and volleyball court renovation at the Virginia-Highland park.

The latest grants bring Park Pride’s 2012 giving for parks improvements to $855,000, according to a news release from the organization.

The grants announced Tuesday will go to 11 parks in Atlanta and five in DeKalb County.

“We are delighted to support a broad range of projects throughout Atlanta and DeKalb County with our 2012 grants,” Park Pride Associate Director Allison Barnett said in a prepared statement.

“The projects vary in scope, budget, location and demographics, but they all share two things: Strong and dedicated Friends of the Park groups, and projects that will make the parks function better for their communities.”

The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation provided the initial funding for Park Pride’s grant program in 2007 and has donated nearly $2 million to the program. This year, Barnett said, The Home Depot Foundation has also contributed.

Here’s the full list of grants announced Tuesday:

Park Atlanta
or DeKalb Amount
of Grant Project Beaverbrook Atlanta $9,000 Gazebo Chapel Hill Dekalb $20,000 Play structures & adult fitness
stations Chastain Atlanta $100,000 Treehouse Dearborn DeKalb $6,500 Swings, playground improvements Historic 4th Ward Atlanta $16,000 Shade structures for playground &
splash pad John Howell Atlanta $50,000 Volleyball court renovation,
sidewalk improvements Little Creek Farm DeKalb $5,000 Renovate horse arena Little Nancy
Creek Atlanta $53,000 Bridge over cheek as part of “Active
Living: Phase II Mary Scott Nature
Preserve DeKalb $10,000 Invasive control & landscaping Perkerson Atlanta $46,500 World-class 18-hole disc golf course Renaissance Atlanta $25,000 Dog park Rev. James
Orange Atlanta $100,000 Demolition of pool, pool house;
installation of playground Rosa Burney Atlanta $9,000 Tools & equipment for gardening
program; replace & repair items
from acts of vandalism Rutledge DeKalb $50,000 Transform vacant lot into new park Springvale Atlanta $47,000 Playground equipment Whittier Mill
Village Atlanta $3,000 Drinking fountain