Hi friend,
North Carolina is beautiful. And as Charlotte grows, we want to ensure that natural beauty is not just preserved but preserved equitably. In 2022, we launched the Growing our Greenways campaign to encourage Mecklenburg County to accelerate the expansion of its network of greenways.
We joined forces with county Park and Recreation Commission members, Partners for Parks, and the Carolina Thread Trail to ask the county to budget at least $35 million in fiscal year 2023 to buy land for parks, greenways, and nature preserves. The county did that and more, budgeting a record $50 million! As of Nov. 1, the county had already received approval to spend about $36 million of that for more than 300 acres of land and was in the early stages of shoring up how to spend the rest.
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(📷: Sustain Charlotte)
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We also held six greenway tours across the county, including an exclusive sneak peek of Phase 1 of the Long Creek Greenway — Mecklenburg's newest section! We do this because we think EVERYONE in our community should have access to parks, nature preserves, and greenways. They have myriad health and ecological benefits, and a more comprehensive greenway network will better connect neighborhoods and provide a safe way for people to commute without using cars — an essential step in reducing climate pollution.
We plan to keep advocating for an expanded greenway network in 2023 and beyond. Will you help us reach our end-of-year fundraising goal of $20,000 by becoming a Sustaining Member or making a one-time donation today? If you commit to $50, $30, or even $10 a month or make a one-time gift of at least $120, you'll be entered into our year-end campaign raffle to win a Specialized Sirrus 1.0 hybrid bike from BikeSource ($650 value) or a 10-class pass to Khali Yoga Center.
Will you help us keep moving forward?
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In gratitude,
Lauren Sawyers
Marketing and Communications Specialist
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