FOR RELEASE
January 20, 2023 

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Heather Tomlin | White Rock Lake Foundation | (214) 284-8495 | Hch816@gmail.com

Susan Falvo | White Rock Lake Foundation | (214) 725-9300 | Susan.falvo.sf@gmail.com

Andrea Hawkins, Dallas Park and Recreation, (817) 994-2498 (Text/VM)

WHITE ROCK LAKE FOUNDATION GIVES CITY OF DALLAS $151,000 FOR RESTORATION OF WINFREY POINT

(DALLAS) - The White Rock Lake Foundation (WRLF) today presented Dallas Park and Recreation Department with $151,000 to help the department with restoration of the historic event venue Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake.

This initial contribution will go toward repairs of the HVAC system, painting the interior and replacing the roof, with other restoration initiatives to follow.

“We will continue to provide funds for the Winfrey Point restoration project and we are calling on the community to help,” said Joe Kidwell, the foundation's president. “In partnership with the Dallas Park and Recreation Department - and pending their blessing - we will post signs on site asking for donations and continue hosting our premier fundraising events - the golf tournament in the spring and the gala in the fall.”

After receiving approval from Dallas Park and Recreation and The White Rock Lake Task Force last spring, WRLF designated restoring the venue as their primary fundraising project. Restoring the building to its original glory is estimated to cost $500,000. Last year WRLF board members met with park department staff at Winfrey Point to review a wish list of improvements and estimates and see the tasks targeted for renovation firsthand.

Funds have been raised primarily through the foundation’s annual golf tournament and the Jewel of Dallas Gala that raised approximately $78,000. The foundation was also approved for a matching-fund program through the city that will bring the total amount earmarked for the initiative to more than $300,000. 

"Dallas Park and Recreation is appreciative for the longtime partnership with the foundation. Their efforts have benefited White Rock Lake and Dallas residents and visitors,"  said John D. Jenkins, director, Dallas Park and Recreation Department.

The White Rock Lake Foundation has raised millions of dollars for numerous projects benefitting White Rock Lake over the course of 32 years, including developing the total Master Plan rendering for White Rock Lake Park, funding and designing new architectural stone abutments to the pedestrian bridge at the main park entrance, and installing shade structures at the Winfrey Point Ball Felds.

Most recently, the foundation raised m that provides the distance between certain points on the trail and a map of the area. The 11 new graffiti-pore than $25,000 for directional signage around the lake--  similar to those on the Santa Fe Trail --roof signs will be located along the entirety of the White Rock Lake Trail, with the four largest ones measuring 6 feet tall. Installation of the signs is expected to begin this spring. 

Fundraising continues to be a critical component of the White Rock Lake Foundation’s responsibilities. Private funds have paid for essentials at White Rock Lake Park such as picnic tables, bicycle racks, benches, trash receptacles, and additional landscaping.

The White Rock Lake Foundation got its start in 1989, when a concerned group of citizens formed the foundation to improve and protect the lake. The Foundation was instrumental and led the efforts to secure an $18 million dollar bond package through the City of Dallas to dredge White Rock Lake and restore it to a healthy, life-sustaining depth by the end of the 20th century.  The bond package was approved by voters in May 1995. From those grassroots origins, the White Rock Lake Foundation has adopted goals that include the completion of the White Rock Lake Master Plan, the development of a Comprehensive Landscape Architectural Concept Plan and a schedule for all restoration, preservation, and development efforts at White Rock Lake. 

Visit The White Rock Lake Foundation to learn more about events and improvements to the lake. Click here for a complete list of the projects completed at White Rock Lake by WRLF.