Durham Parks and Recreation: Play More!

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator In May 2022, Burton Park, located at 1501 Sima Avenue, received a brand new, kid-designed playground, which was installed by 250 local volunteers over the course of three days for a total of 1,000 hours. From unloading the playground pieces, to spreading mulch, to mixing concrete, to painting railings, each volunteer played a crucial role from start to finish in the build process. We would like to give a special shout out to the various groups, organizations, and City departments that volunteered throughout build week: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Durham Parks and Recreation Recreation Advisory Commission Durham Parks Foundation Durham Fire Department Durham EMS Durham Police Department Durham Housing Authority Durham County Government City Attorney’s Office City Clerk’s Office Duke University - The Fuqua School Of Business And thank you to our project partners, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and KABOO...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator While the days leading up to a wedding may involve running errands, completing last minute tasks and hosting out of town guest and family...one Durham couple spent their time giving back to Rockwood Park! They aren’t an ordinary couple that do ordinary mundane things. They are two people that have desire to make their community and those around them better.  On a cool Saturday morning in April, Maggie and David gathered over 50 of their closest friends and family members for a pre-wedding morning workday at Rockwood Park, the neighborhood park close to their home and their favorite place to take a morning walk. Friends, moms, dads, stepparents, brothers and sisters all joined in to help plant a native perennial garden near the Rockwood Park picnic shelter. Maggie and David wanted to make their favorite park more beautiful while honoring their commitment to tending their home. They purchased and donated over 500 flowers and plants, which w...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator It is said that ‘there is no I in team’ and that could not be more true when it comes to recognizing this month’s Durham Parks and Recreation volunteers. Julian Coleman, Joshua Leonard, and Nahsan Guseh are Durham Girls Soccer League’s (DGSL) team Madagascar’s coaches and our volunteers of the month. Julian, Joshua and Nahsan have been vital to the success of the Durham Girls Soccer League (DGSL). During the pandemic, all three coaches volunteered their time to assist with the DGSL Soccer Fun Days and even kept in touch with their team throughout the longest off-season ever! They coordinated meet-ups and gave their players an opportunity to stay active when DGSL was unable to run. During this past fall season, these three coaches took on an additional team in our youngest division - holding two practices a week and coaching two games each weekend. The success and positive attitude of their teams is a direct reflection of their dedication to the D...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator James Umbanhowar, who has lived in Durham’s Watts Hospital-Hillandale neighborhood for 15 years, is an avid cyclist and a delegate for Durham’s Participatory Budgeting (PB) process. His love for cycling led him to the idea of building a pump track in Belmont Park. The pump track would allow kids (and adults) to learn how to ride in a safe environment. In early 2019 James submitted a proposal to earmark funding through the PB process for a dirt bike pump track in park. His proposal was one of 11 chosen by Durham residents. James worked with DPR’s Park Development team and together they collected neighbors’ opinions on the park’s restoration. One of his responsibilities was reach out the community and gather support. He emailed friends and bike listservs, contacted neighbors and spoke to the neighborhood association. Once the project got underway, James took on additional responsibilities to help make sure the park project stayed on track until...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator Terry VanHoose has been a wonderful addition to the volunteer pool for DPR. Not only has he taken on the responsibility of being the lead instructor for Walltown’s Youth Golf academy for the past two years, you can also find Terry volunteering for many of the special events, athletic, and Cultural Heritage programs. Terry has the exceptional ability to learn something about each participant (grade level, siblings, other athletic interests, etc.) remember it and incorporate it into each class making for a more personal experience. Amanda Johnson, Recreation Supervisor of the Walltown Park Recreation Center shares that Terry has incredible patience. “Working with an energetic group of kids can sometimes be challenging” she says. She goes on to say that Terry has a friendly yet direct way of getting them to focus because he has a good way of "reading the group." If he sees they are getting restless or distracted, he'll throw in a s...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator John Rives exemplifies what a volunteer should be. As a longtime member of the Durham Community Trail Watch he has contributed countless of hours to the city’s trails and greenways. Additionally, John has coordinated or led the Full Moon Fever Ride since 2013. On Saturday August 21 John led a group of 20 riders, many of them first timers, up the American Tobacco Trail to experience trail riding at night. Durham Parks and Recreation’s volunteers have fun while making a huge difference. Whether they are building and maintaining trails, helping with an event, or working with our youth, we couldn’t do it without them. Thank you, John for your commitment to the Durham community. Thank you, John for Playing More with DPR! This Fall is full of opportunities to volunteer with Durham Parks and Recreation! From special events to park and trail cleanups to coaching youth sports, we have plenty of ways for residents to give back and be part of making a d...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator Mike Shelby has volunteered with West Point on the Eno and Leigh Farm Park for over seven years. Using historically accurate construction techniques and trees that would have been used in the late 1800s to early 1900s, Mike completely restored and revived the century-old grape vine that members of the Leigh Family planted. His commitment to reviving the grape vines resulted in the vine growing strong and producing scuppernong grapes annually. In addition to volunteering at Leigh Farm Park, Mike is also an integral member of the milling team at West Point on the Eno Park. He helps get the 19th-century mill stones up and running each year for the Eno Fest. Mike comes in each Spring to help the millers prep for the season ahead and is always quick to make himself available if there is an issue in the mill that requires an extra pair of skilled hands. During the height of the pandemic, DPR’s Mature Adult unit was working on producing a “virtual trips...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator John Goebel has a special love for Sandy Creek Park and his commitment to enriching the outdoor experiences to park visitors has been immense. John’s role as a volunteer with Durham Parks and Recreation has been diverse. He has volunteered for over 7 years, most recently finishing a vast park improvement project at Sandy Creek Park. The project included installing pond levelers to combat flooding caused by beavers, an accessible sidewalk to the highest point in the park and developing a History Grove in memory of Larry Stogner. Additionally, John has managed several projects at Sandy Creek Park that have helped to make it a destination park in Durham, including the wetlands trail, the installation of milkweed and declaration of the park as a Monarch Wayfaring destination, the butterfly garden, and the swing. And if that wasn’t enough, John is also a vigorous fundraiser in support of Sandy Creek Park which has helped DPR attain national recogni...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller These words exemplify Harriet Sansone and her efforts with keeping the American Tobacco Trail clean. In the 4 years that Harriet has been a Durham Parks and Recreation volunteer she regularly goes above and beyond to support the Adopt-A-Trail program.  Just since January 1, 2021 Harriet has brought volunteers together that have contributed nearly 100 volunteer hours and collected over 500 lbs of trash off the American Tobacco Trail. Not only does she help with volunteer efforts through Burn Boot Camp South Durham, but she also coordinates the clean-up efforts on behalf of the ATT Facebook Friends adoption. Volunteers are our superheroes. Every day, we celebrate their passion, dedication, and leadership that help make the trails we all love possible. Thank you to all of the volunteers that dedicate countless number of hours to the Adopt-A-Park, Adopt-A-Trail program. ...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator Eugene “Coach Mo” Mosley has been volunteering with DPR’s Special Programs Unit for over 20 years. Not only does he volunteer as a coach for our programs, he also helps to organize DPR’s Summer Basketball league for people with special needs. Coach Mo also volunteers for the Special Olympics Durham County sport program which is run by DPR’s Special Programs Unit. He coaches soccer, basketball, unified basketball and track and field. Coach Mo is a stand out. He goes above and beyond the call of duty as a volunteer. Coach Mo cares about participants, making sure participants are doing well on and off the court or field. During these unprecedented times he has taken the time to reach out and ensure that the athletes stay engaged and know they are missed. Over the past 20 years, Coach Mo has created so many great memories. From winning state level Special Olympics gold medals to the final games in our summer basketball league. One moment in particular...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator Durham Parks and Recreation has been extremely fortunate to have Tracey Taylor as one of our amazing volunteers. Tracey is a Durham native and grew up playing sports both in school and with DPR. Her parents insisted that she keep her grades up to participate in sports and she claims this incentive helped motivate her to “make it” through school. She is grateful for the sports programs offered in her youth and she said, “It feels good to give back to DPR”. For the past year, Tracey has been a driving force behind DPR’s pickleball tournaments and ladders. Tracey has worked tirelessly in helping promote pickleball within the Durham community. Not only does Tracey commit her time to volunteering with DPR’s pickleball program, she is an invaluable resource in helping recruit other volunteers to assist with our tournaments and ladders. She brings her dynamic personality and “can do” attitude to every event and has accumulated an extensive number of hour...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator It is with much enthusiasm that we recognize Cedric Burke as February’s Volunteer of the Month! Cedric, along with members of the Tobacco Road FC, has been volunteering with DPR for the past four years with programs such as Little Tykes Soccer, DPR Soccer Academy and the Youth Sport Sampler. He has spent the bulk of his life in Durham and his commitment to the Durham community is evident in everything he does. When asked why he elected to volunteer with DPR Cedric says he is passionate about giving back to a city that has given him so much. Specifically, he enjoys playing a role in helping to shape the future of our youth. Additionally, he believes that a variety of life lessons can be learned through the teamwork, humility and camaraderie required to be a successful member of a soccer team. Cedric finds joy in seeing the youth he volunteers with reach milestones. He says that “It's incredibly gratifying to build relationships with the youn...

By: Mal Atkinson, Resource Coordinator In the past year, Maggie Stalls has volunteered her time for all Bull City Reels on Wheels, Fright Night, Frosty Family Toy Giveaway and the Laser Light Show. Even during these unprecedented times, she continues to volunteer her time. When asked why she takes the time to give back she said “I was raised to know volunteering as just a normal part of life and if we were fortunate enough to have the time or the means or the resources to help others, then we did”.  Maggie did most of her growing up in Wilmington, NC, but the triangle area was a top vacation destination for her family. She moved to South Carolina for college and has lived a little bit of everywhere since. A few years ago she decided this area would be an okay place to put down roots for a few years while attending graduate school. Unexpectedly, Durham has quickly wormed its way into her heart, and my dog, Hudson, and both are happy to call this home. One of Maggie’s greatest p...

We love our volunteers! And what better way to show them how much we love them than to do a little shoutout!? This week we want to say T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U to two of our Durham Girls Soccer League coaches and learn more about their volunteer story... What is your current volunteer role with Durham Parks and Recreation? Doreen and Charlie are co-coaches for Scotland in the DGSL 11-13 age group. When did you decide to start volunteering? Charlie: We each had a daughter playing for Scotland back in 2014 when they were both seven. The coaches were two Duke students who graduated before the end of the season. Doreen and I had gotten to know each other on the sidelines, so we volunteered to cover the last game as coaches. The girls played an amazing game, we had a great group of parents, and it was fun! So we stayed on as coaches and are still with the team five years later. Why did you want to sign up to be a DGSL Coach? Charlie: At first it was just to help and because some...

We're about midway through the season of youth co-ed individual basketball league and the competition has been nothing but fierce on the court. Between practices and games, it has been a busy 2018-2019 season. Youth between the ages of 5 and 12 have the opportunity to join a team and play basketball during the Fall. Practices and games, both lasting about one hour, are held on Saturday mornings as well as some weekdays, depending on your team schedule. The games are played at Walltown Park Recreation Center, Edison Johnson Recreation Center, Community Family Life and Recreation Center at Lyon Park, W.D. Hill Recreation Center and Holton Career & Resource Center. Throughout the season,  Want to know more about the practices and game rules? Check out this Parent Information Sheet which goes into detail on rules for each age group, cancellation line, winter weather details, and more. You can also check in on the season standings and game results on our website by click...

Looking for a way to get involved in your community? Sign up to volunteer with Durham Parks and Recreation! We rely strongly on our amazing volunteer base to help provide programs and services to the residents and visitors of Durham. Our volunteer opportunities fall into a few categories including Special Events, Specialized Skills, Tutors/Mentors, Internships/Practicums, Service and Durham Community Trail Watch. For detailed information on each of these areas of volunteering, visit our website . Enjoy sports and teaching youth? Our Athletics Department is in need of a few great coaches who are willing to invest in the next generation! Several of our athletic programs rely on volunteer assistance including Little Tykes Basketball and Soccer, Co-Ed Soccer Academy, Junior Team Tennis, Durham Girls Soccer and more! If you are a group or organization looking to partner with DPR on a special project, we have plenty of ways you can help keep our parks and trails clean and attractive. Che...