« July 2004 | Main | September 2004 »
August 30, 2004
Bailey's Doggie Dash
Looking for something fun for you and your dog to do? Try Bailey's Doggie Dash. It's a 5K Run/Walk for owners and their dogs Saturday October 16, 2004 at 9:00am in Wabasis Park. (Wabasis Park is located approximately 20 Miles northeast of Grand Rapids. Take US 131 to 10 Mile Rd, head east to Wabasis Rd, north to Wabasis Park.)
Awards (for runners that run w/their dogs)
- Awards for top three finishers in each age group
- Awards for top male and female masters runners (over 40)
- Awards for overall top male and female finisher
- Bailey’s Choice Award for best Halloween Costume(s)
All proceeds benefit Kent County Parks Foundation.
(This event is not related to our fund-raising efforts for Hillcrest Park in Grand Rapids)
Click here for more info (360kb PDF)
Posted by Gwen at 10:00 PM | Comments (1)
August 20, 2004
Off-leash fundraising kick-off
On Saturday, October 2nd from 10am to 4pm, the Grand Rapids Dog Park Enthusiasts, in cooperation with the city of Grand Rapids, will be having our first fundraising event for our new off-leash area at Hillcrest Park. We will be gathering at the baseball diamond behind the suggested off-leash area. Please email Laurel at lpruski@comcast.net if you’d like to volunteer. If you’d like to sponsor the event, please email Gwen at gwen@grdogpark.com. Stay tuned for details.
Posted by Gwen at 10:47 AM | Comments (2)
August 12, 2004
Hillcrest Park
Dave Kagan took some great shots of our future off-leash area at Hillcrest Park (and Ollie romping in the background). It's a beautiful wooded area with plenty of shade and room to play.
Posted by Gwen at 10:15 PM | Comments (2)
The Grand Rapids Press article
News about our new off-leash area popped up in The Grand Rapids Press yesterday, "Release the hounds: City Commission votes to create a dog park off Lyon Street NE."
Posted by Gwen at 02:43 PM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2004
The city's behind us!
On August 10, Grand Rapids City Officials voiced unanimous support of the City's first off-leash park for dogs and their owners. Over the past year, the Grand Rapids Dog Park Enthusiasts and area residents worked closely with Parks and Recreation Department Director Jay Steffen and Parks Superintendent Tom Zelinski and their team to complete the research and jump the hurdles necessary to get to this stage.
As some of you are aware, we faced a setback earlier this year when city budget cuts forced the Commission to eliminate promised funding to develop an off-leash area. We responded with Plan "B": Grand Rapids Dog Park Enthusiasts would commit to raise the funds necessary for fencing if the City made the land commitment.
Now that we have the City's permission and land commitment, we can move this initiative forward. It's fundraising time, folks.
Our goal is to fence and open this newly created section in Hillcrest Park by November 30 of this year. We need support and funds for materials and labor required to fence the estimated 900 linear feet surrounding the 1-acre plot of land. We are currently seeking formal estimates for fencing and will report back with the final numbers.
What can you expect from the park? Some cities have established stark fenced in parking lots for dogs and owners to socialize. Other cities have created dramatic play areas complete with pools, water fountains, agility runs and more. The first Grand Rapids off-leash area will be emphatically better than the former, but not as extravagant as the latter. After all, this is a non-profit venture —— a partnership among area dog owners and dog lovers, the City and the Hillcrest Neighborhood Association.
We encourage everyone to visit and walk the site. We were wonderfully surprised by the size and layout recommended by the City's landscape architects. It is a beautiful wooded setting, a place dog owners will enjoy just as much as the dogs who will romp the grounds. It is located at the top of the hill behind Fuller Park, near the corner of Fulton and Michigan.
We are approaching this project at Hillcrest as a model for future neighborhood off-leash parks. We can't imagine a better partner neighborhood than the Hillcrest Neighborhood Association. They should be commended for their vision and willingness to support allocation of a one-acre parcel of greenspace. Hillcrest is one of the most active and dynamic neighborhood associations in the City. Years ago, it successfully garnered the support and resources of nearby homeowners to allocate land for a community garden, where neighbors could lease garden plots, make friends and socialize with neighbors. We are fortunate to have their support for our off-leash initiative.
If the sky was the limit, we would open at least two parks concurrently. Budget and time constraints are the main challenges at this time. Which means we will all be working especially hard to make Hillcrest an example of excellence.
For many dog owners, an off-leash area is as important to quality of life in Grand Rapids as pools, soccer fields and tennis courts are to families with kids. If you want to support the initiative, click on the "donate" button. You can also email suggestions, sign up for the volunteer list, note any skills that might come in handy (i.e. fundraising, post digging).
If you are willing to pass out donation envelopes on your street or to your dog-loving friends, contact us and we will provide you with a supply. If you have a corporate connection for fencing materials or support, we would be very grateful.
Posted by Gwen at 04:07 PM | Comments (4)