UNITED WAY OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY AND THE CITY OF BOWLING GREEN UNVEIL NEW JENNINGS CREEK NATURE PARK AND PLAYSCAPE AT BOWLING GREEN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING
(June 20, 2025) - Community members, business leaders, and local officials all gathered for the unveiling of the new Jennings Creek Nature Park and Playscape on Wednesday. The park has been a multi-year joint effort between Bowling Green Parks and Recreation, the City of Bowling Green, and United Way of Southern Kentucky. Amenities of the park include a variety of play apparatuses for children to enjoy, an educational Born Learning Trail, and a book swap box, all featured amidst the beautiful scenery of the creek.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was opened with a welcome from the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Chair, Andy Barker, followed by remarks from United Way of Southern Kentucky President and CEO, Debbie Hills. Debbie stated “To understand how we arrived at this outcome, we have to go back to December 10, 2021, when our community faced devastating tornado damage. United Way of Southern Kentucky raised over $3.5 million to support victims, with the immediate focus on meeting urgent needs. Once those were addressed, we envisioned something lasting for this neighborhood. With our focus on Kindergarten Readiness, we recognized the importance of play in early childhood development and imagined a joyful, healing space for families who had endured so much. In partnership with the City of Bowling Green, United Way invested just under $500,000 to help create this natural playground—the first of its kind in Bowling Green.”
After the statements from Debbie, Bowling Green Mayor, Todd Alcott shared his thanks to all those involved in the project. To conclude the event, United Way of Southern Kentucky Board Chair, Dr. Milli McIntosh gave a prayer of blessing on the park, and then all those in attendance gathered to cut the ribbon at the entrance of the park.
Cameron Levis, Recreation Division Manager with Bowling Green Parks and Recreation stated, “It’s pretty special to see a vision that we’ve had for a few years come to life, and a park be born out of a blank space. This experience specifically has reminded us that parks are powerful, and they can help turn negative memories into positive ones and bring healing. We are grateful to United Way for helping bring this park to life for this community.”
Bowling Green Parks and Recreation states that the park can be accessed by parking at the back right corner of Jennings Creek Elementary School, between dawn and sunset.
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If you would like to learn more about United Way of Southern Kentucky, please visit www.uwsk.org or call 270-843-3205.
United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) is a local, independent, non-profit organization that works to identify and address the issues that matter most, change conditions and improve lives. The mission of United Way of Southern Kentucky is to be the leader in bringing together the resources to build a stronger, more caring community. United Way is focused on the building blocks for good quality of life – Education, Income, Health and Safety Net. Therefore, the vision of United Way is a Southern Kentucky where all residents are educated, healthy, and financially stable. Incorporated as a charitable non-profit entity in 1956, UWSK has long served a major role in the community by bringing people together to create opportunities that make a measurable difference in the quality of life for people where they live and work.
