Imagine your own central park just around the corner from home, a beautiful place to take a walk at the end of the day and unwind. Imagine a safe place for the kids to play within walking distance from home. Basketball, tennis, sand volleyball, a butterfly garden, children’s garden and lush landscaping are all part of the plan. How about outdoor concerts and movies? Tietze Park, the Katy Trail, Exall Park, do they sound familiar? They all began with a dream. A simple idea brought to fruition by a group of caring residents. The Friends of Buckner Park need your help to make a dream come true. The Friends of Buckner Park (FOBP) was created by a group of concerned residents in the neighboring historic districts of Peak’s Addition, Munger Place, Swiss Avenue and Junius Heights.

Buckner Park is located at the corner of Worth Street and Carroll Avenue in Old East Dallas. It is adjacent to Zaragoza Elementary. The Park is named after Dr. R. C. Buckner, the landowner at the time and the founder of Dallas’ well known Baptist benevolence, Buckner Children’s Home. The park opened in the summer of 1915. Buckner Park was a center of social and cultural life offering a wading pool in 1920 and by 1923 free outdoor movies. After World War II the surrounding neighborhoods declined and so did the park. In recent years, many of the homes have been restored thanks to dedicated homeowners however, the park has not adequately benefited from this movement of restoration. J.W. Brasher, President of the Friends of Buckner Park Board, states “concerned neighbors who are passionate can really make a change in his or her community. I am glad to see four neighborhoods working together on this project to make this change happen.”

We invite you to join us in the quest to revitalize a local heritage and make it again a community gathering place. The Dallas Parks and Recreation Department has agreed to dedicate funds and personnel to improve the park. La Popular Tamale House, the Munger Place Homeowners’ Association and the Swiss Avenue Homeowners’ Association have all generously donated seed money to this project. The Friends of Buckner Park is seeking membership, volunteers, sponsorship and donations.

For more information about this exciting endeavor, contact any of the following FOBP Board members:

• JW Brasher,  President
• Andrea Nicholas,  Vice President
• Sharon Van Buskirk,  Secretary
• Courtney Buterbaugh,  Treasurer
• Jill Pridavka,  Marketing & PR
• Sandy Doss,  Marketing & PR
• Jim Anderson,  Design/Implementation
• Brandon Castille,  Membership
• Janet Staring,  Fundraising
• Tanya Rodriguez,  Marketing & PR
• Brian Jackson,  Marketing
• Evelyn Montgomery,  Grants
• Larry Waisanen,  Fundraising
• Zelman Brounoff,  Photography