On Saturday, April 1 at the Renaissance Pocket Park, 1471 Mississippi Boulevard, The Works, Inc. hosted their second annual Spring Fling Event to celebrate Easter and bring the community together. The festive party featured live music, an Easter egg hunt, free food and family fun.
This property, owned and maintained by the Works, Inc., was simply four vacant contiguous lots just a few years ago. In 2018, the land was cleaned up and used to host two series of South Memphis Move Your Body events as an effort to activate the space and to begin a conversation with residents about what they’d like to see happen with the space.
Initial funding for construction came from the Tennessee Department of Health in 2020.
In 2022, additional funding came, and another round of construction will take place this summer.
In a word, the event was a success, and I recently had a chance to hear more about it from Works, Inc. Community Engagement Manager Tracie Hale.
Storyboard: What took place at this year’s spring fling?
Tracie Hale: This year’s event was packed with food, fun and live music. We had an egg hunt for the children complete with golden eggs and a visit from Mr. E. Bunny himself. Every child received a basket of goodies, made crafts at our Arts & Crafts Station and walked away with an awesome face painting. A barbeque food truck served lunch and Mempops was on hand with refreshing treats to serve everyone in attendance.
Storyboard: What was the main goal of the event?
Tracie Hale: To celebrate family, cheer fellowship and promote community.
Storyboard: Why are community events like this so important?
Tracie Hale: Community events strengthen community building and bring people together to develop bonds and celebrate the beauty of community as a whole.
Storyboard: Anything else you’d like to add?
Tracie Hale: We are always excited to bring new experiences to our communities and create opportunities to make lasting impacts.
For more information on the Works, Inc., visit www. https://theworkscdc.org/.