NACOGDOCHES, Texas ––Nacogdoches Parks Advocacy League (PAL) invites the community to mark the end of summer with fun and service at a Family Fun Park Beautification Project and Play Date on Saturday, August 29. The beautification project will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Temple Park Spray Station, 1100 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, PAL’s Project of the Year. The occasion will be an amphibious event, with participants encouraged to wear swimsuits or water wear to enjoy the sprayers and playground while taking time to pick up trash and perform other simple maintenance tasks. Trash pick-up begins at 9:30 and sprayers turn on at 10.

“Temple Park is not a huge project in terms of trash pick-up and beautification,” says PAL Vice President and Beautification Committee Chair Michelle Cox of the City’s only free and public water feature. “It does the lion’s share of hosting in summer though, and we want to highlight what an asset it is to the community and the potential it shows. It’s such a fun park whether the sprayers are off or on and we want to show our appreciation, as well as make it more visible to the public.” This free event is also a great opportunity to enjoy a picnic in the park with other volunteers. PAL will provide water and shade tents, but volunteers are encouraged to pack brown bag lunches and picnic blankets and take the opportunity to enjoy dining in nature.

The Family Fun Beautification Event is completely free, though PAL accepts donations, which are tax-deductible, at any time with all monies going directly to enhancing Temple Park. Donations can be made at the event or online at the PAL web site. “We’ll have PAL merchandise for sale, including our brightly-colored t-shirts and a few other items,” says Cox. “Our main goal is just to get community members working together and remind them of some of the urgent needs of this park.”

PAL members are aiming to shore up the park for additional safety and better enjoyment by the community. PAL’s wish list of upgrades include large sail shades, a safety fence or landscaping barrier between the park and nearby intersection, repairs to the existing tube slide and rubber flooring, a water fountain, picnic tables, colorful and noise-reducing plants, and a bike rack.

PAL (Parks Advocacy League) of Nacogdoches is a tax-exempt 501c3 organization founded in June 2014 by a group of citizens to improve the aesthetics and function of Nacogdoches City parks and park facilities for year-round enjoyment by the whole community via organized stewardship and funding development.  For more information about PAL including information about business sponsorships, donations of money, or in-kind goods and services, please visit www.palnac.com or email palnacogdoches@gmail.com.