David McLain to Speak at Legacy Luncheon for the Parks
We are excited to announce that National Geographic adventurer, David McLain, will be our featured speaker at the Legacy Luncheon for the Parks on September 27 at Johnson University along the beautiful French Broad River. The annual luncheon funds the work of Legacy Parks Foundation to conserve green space, create public places, and connect our community. David McLain - a National Geographic adventurer and a member of the Blue Zone exploration team, will join us as our guest speaker and share his stories of traveling the globe to uncover the secrets of a long and happy life. Documenting the Blue Zones – the five places in the world where you are most likely to live past 100 years – gives McLain unique insight into the secrets of longevity. McLain’s photographs have appeared in National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, and National Geographic Adventure, as well as Men's Journal, Sports Illustrated, Skiing, [...]
TWRA Awards Grant for New Boat Launch on Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek will become more boat accessible thanks to a grant from TWRA to construct the ramp and parking area on Beaver Creek behind Powell High School. County Commission and Legacy Parks Board Member Larson Jay worked with TWRA to secure a $25,000 grant to Legacy Parks for the project. Knox County Public Works, Knox County Schools and Enhance Powell will partner on the project as a continuation of the effort to make Beaver Creek a recreational amenity in north Knox County. A local funding match of $10,000 from Randy Burleson and the Aubrey's Restaurants' “Hoppy Trails” promotion will make the project fully funded.
Legacy Parks Receives Phase I Trinity Grant
The Trinity Foundation has awarded Legacy Parks a Phase I grant for $15,000 to develop a proposal for a unique play area in north Knoxville. The Phase I grant funding allows Legacy Parks to do the research and concept design to apply for the Phase II $150,000 Trinity Foundation grant. “Access to safe parks, greenways, and sidewalks,” is a health priority identified by the 2015 Together Healthy Knox initiative. To that end, Legacy Parks Foundation plans to build Sharp’s Ridge Playspace in north Knoxville on the 42-acres of land donated to Legacy Parks. Similar to the successful Baker Creek Play Forest, the Playspace will offer access to fun and challenging amenities to increase physical activity for citizens of the neighborhood and the entire community. The Playspace, located in the woods near Christenberry Heights Housing development, will introduce a new audience to nature while encouraging physical activity to develop healthy habits. Collaborating [...]
REI Awards Legacy Parks Grant for Urban Wilderness
For the sixth consecutive year, REI is showing its support for Legacy Parks Foundation and Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness through a $8,000 grant to to design and construct a trail at I.C. King Park that will connect the new parking lot to the existing Urban Wilderness trails network on the backside of the property. The expansion of these trails is important because it provides new access point into the trail systems for the neighboring communities and will tie together the currently isolated 8-miles of trails into the interconnected loop of 50+ miles of Urban Wilderness trails! REI began contributing to the trails of Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness in 2014, and has given significant support since, including funding for a bridge, a kid’s trail, a junior pump track, water stations throughout the Urban Wilderness, and a trail connection from Dogwood Elementary School to Stanley-Lippencott Park. This project is a collaboration of several active [...]