Ziplining, archery, and more -- Detroit couple transforms overgrown lots into sprawling park for kids
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Welcome to Moore Park – a space in Detroit featuring ziplining, archery, and more.
This park on the edge of northwest Detroit is the product of Jacqueline And Willie Moore’s love for their neighborhood and a desire to improve the lives of people in it.
"To have youth to be able to be in an enclosed area where they can really experience a park and not have to worry about street traffic," Jacqueline Moore said.
It started with the formation of SDM2 in 2011--- a nonprofit named after the couple's daughters to help kids find their footing academically.
The Moores gradually accumulated overgrown side lots and Land Bank property around their home on Lenore Avenue and transformed them into a sprawling park. There's a house where children receive tutoring and help with homework, as well as a community garden that, with the help of the group Food Rescue, feeds their neighbors.
Everything offered is free to the community.
"The thing about it is it's self-funded, not because we want it to be totally self-funded – it's because we didn't have the opportunities to pull other people in, but we saw a need," Jacqueline Moore said.
City Councilman James Tate said he has witnessed the growth and impact of Moore Park.
"I think because of what they’ve been doing, it’s a domino effect. You see people coming out, ‘Hey what’s going on?’ and ‘Hey now I want to improve my property, hey how can I join in?’" he said. "If we had 10 more of the Moore families around the city of Detroit I could see many of our issues dissipating because they truly care. It’s not about the money. They don’t ask for anything – they just do."