How a park group stood up to a hurricane

In September, Hurricane Dorian lashed Halifax with high winds and torrential rains. Powerful Hurricane Dorian toppled trees, blew the roofs off homes and left 400,000 Nova Scotians without power.

In the midst of the storm, a group of park volunteers made a plan to light their public bake oven and feed people in the park.

It was Allison Eddy, a volunteer with Park Avenue Community Oven (PACO), who put out the initial call. Quickly, the entire park volunteer group mobilized on Dartmouth’s Leighton Dillman Park, lit up the bake oven and started cooking up donated pizzas.

Soon, 200 community members congregated in the park to share nourishment and the warmth of community.

This is the power of parks and it’s created by ordinary people, like you. People who know that parks make their communities more connected and vibrant.

As one of the park’s volunteers said:

“The reason we exist is as a place where people in the community can come together and be together.”

This year, with the help of caring supporters like you, Park People was able to help 135,000 people across Canada enjoy park events that light up their communities.

This Giving Tuesday, will you please make a donation and help us activate the power of parks in cities across Canada?

Your gift will go directly to supporting programs that make our parks and in turn our communities and cities, better.

Please donate to Park People, and support vibrant and connected parks and communities today.