“Legacy Community Day was a perfect celebration of the community we’ve cultivated at Legacy Park.” |
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Just as the Piedmont Park Conservancy contracts with the City of Atlanta to manage Piedmont Park, Legacy Decatur serves in a similar capacity as the stewards of Legacy Park, a role principally responsible for implementation of the park’s Master Plan.
Inherent in that responsibility is ensuring the long term sustainability of the property — financially, environmentally, and culturally. To that end, the organization is slowly transforming the park’s historic campus into an incubator of community-serving good works. Local nonprofits get below-market office space while providing revenue for maintenance and building upgrades. A culture of volunteerism grows while organizational programming serves a wealth of community needs. It all makes good, pragmatic sense. But as was discovered last Saturday at Legacy Decatur’s yearly Legacy Community Day, it’s not just sound strategy. It warms the heart too. |
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Visitors wander around Legacy Community Day at Legacy Park. |
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On Saturday, April 13, all the nonprofit organizations associated with Legacy Park as well as vendors and others — including the Wylde Center with their yearly plant sale festival — gathered for Legacy Community Day, a celebration of the growing community at Decatur’s 77 acre urban oasis on South Columbia Drive. 800 people came together to be a part of it. The poignancy of the event was not lost on Legacy Decatur Executive Director Madeleine Henner.
“Legacy Community Day was a perfect celebration of the community we've cultivated at Legacy Park,” she says. “The Wylde Center’s path of seedling plants between 35-year-old blooming azalea bushes was a perfect metaphor for what we’re doing here. We’re honoring the good work that happened on this property at the Children’s Home by continuing to plant new seeds of community.”
“Maybe you came to buy a Hosta from the Wylde Center for that shady corner of your yard,” she continues, “or herbs from Trellis Horticultural Therapy Alliance. Maybe you just strolled around, learning about all the programming happening at the Decatur Education Foundation, Global Growers Network, Wild Nest Bird Rehab, or any of our other 14 nonprofit tenants.” “Who knows?,” she wonders. “Maybe you just dropped by with your banjo or fiddle to jam with the Frank Hamilton School.” |
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The Frank Hamilton School jam circle was just one of many ways to while away the afternoon. |
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| The offerings were so extensive and diverse that Legacy Decatur Programs Manager Dymond Generette has to step in to keep the list going. “I loved seeing the smiling faces from the organizations,” she says, “hugging and celebrating our nonprofit tenants, taking fun photos of everyone, seeing people with piles of plants purchased in support of the Wylde Center, and people picnicking on the South Lawn.” “All around were fun activities like the Oakhurst Girl Scouts & Beecatur doing face paintings, Friends of Decatur Cemetery making bookmarks, Tai Chi 4 Life Co-Op doing a public demonstration, Compassionate Atlanta creating self-care flower bouquets. Even us, selling Legacy Park t-shirts to our amazing locals!”
The day was meaningful on a personal level as well. "It was more than just an organizational success," she says. "It was a personal achievement. Spearheading the project and coordinating 30 amazing vendors representing 25 organizations? Incredibly rewarding." Generette reinforces her enthusiasm for the day, pointing out the great blue heron, sustainably crafted from repurposed wood, that she purchased from Jack Barnes Designs. |
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Carved wood herons from Jack Barnes Designs. |
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Decatur’s a town known for its big events. The Arts Festival, Book Festival, wine and beer festivals, Amplify Decatur, Oakhurst Porchfest, the list goes on. To think that in a place like that, where you’ve got more entertainment options than you could ever take full advantage of, that people would spend a Saturday afternoon celebrating each other and the best of what we can be, well, it’s more than just a little heartwarming.
“It was such a joy,” continues Generette, “to witness folks who stopped at the Park for the first time, folks who enjoy the trails but didn’t know about all the nonprofits and programming happening here, and folks who are deeply involved with all these organizations, all coming together to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and each other’s company.” “This is what Legacy Park aims to be: a welcoming and engaging space for all people to strengthen and celebrate community.”
And for one magical afternoon, it was even a bit more than that. It was a day measured in smiles. |
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Trellis Horticultural Therapy Alliance shows off their emerging, fully accessible community garden. |
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Community is a convergence of all interests, including our local businesses. Decatur is well served by the tireless support they offer and the contributions they make.
Legacy Decatur extends its deepest gratitude to the sponsors who helped make Community Day possible — Williams Teusink: Atlanta Real Estate and Business Attorneys, the Successful Nonprofits Podcast, Independent Distilling Company, the Kai Garden, and Breedlove Land Planning. See y'all 'round the park. |
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COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Dymond Generette |
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