Meet Town Branch Park's Very First Donor
In this season of giving, we went back to our first donor to talk about. The inspiration behind her gift. Who is it? The answer might surprise you!
She’s been a supporter of Town Branch Park for more than half her life. It started when Lilly Chamblin, then age 5, was in the car with mom Laura Holoubek and crossed over the Jefferson Street viaduct. Laura explained how Town Branch Creek ran under Vine Street and answered questions about who covered it up and why. Lilly later wrote a note to her mom to tell her exactly what she thought of that idea.
Then, in January 2013, Laura showed Lilly (by now almost age 8) the renderings from the design competition for Town Branch Park, which were published in the Herald-Leader. Lilly thought they were amazing and asked how soon she could go to the park. Laura explained that it would take years and a lot of money to build such a large project. That didn’t dissuade Lilly. She ran upstairs to her room, came down with her piggy bank and emptied ALL of it into a ziplock bag. Lilly handed the bag to Laura and said, “Please give this to Jim. I want to help pay for it.”
Jim Gray is a friend of the family, and Laura suggested to Lilly that she should give it to him herself, along with a note explaining why she was giving him money. Then mayor, Gray asked her to meet him at City Hall and also invited her to the State of the Merged Government. Gray had her sit at his table and mentioned her in his remarks.
WE RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH LILLY, NOW 14, TO TALK TO HER ABOUT TOWN BRANCH PARK’S FIRST GIFT:
What made you decide to give the money?
“A lot of it was probably The Lexington School. Even at a young age, they teach you core values and are very environmentally centered.”
What do you think about the park now?
“I think it’s going to be a very good space for all ages and backgrounds. Other parks aren’t super close to downtown. As someone who lives downtown, it will be fun. It will make downtown more peaceful and community-centered.”
What excites you most about the park?
“I’m most excited about the water feature. That will set it apart from other parks and give it a uniquely Lexington feel.”
Lilly, who will graduate from high school the year construction is set to begin on the park, said she will come back for the grand opening. Lilly plans to study architecture and design – maybe in Toronto.
“Other than coming home, it would be one of the first places I would come back to visit,” Lilly said.
Lilly’s enthusiasm - both now and then - shows how much this project resonates with people of all ages. We are thankful for her gift. Every contribution matters!
Hoskins Family Donates $500,000!
We are grateful to the Hoskins family and their generous gift of $500,000 to Town Branch Park. In recognition of the gift, Town Branch Park will name the first public art installation, called First Impressions, in the family's honor.
The First Impressions sculpture will provide opportunities for learning about ecology, history and math. The interactive educational aspects will make it an attraction for people of all ages by creating a piece that makes visitors aware of a shared history on this planet and encourages exploration and stewardship of a shared environment.
With this donation, gifts to the project now total close to $12 million.
