Philanthropy is what takes the parks at Hemisfair from great to world-class. This month, Wells Fargo announced it selected Hemisfair as one of two Texas recipients for its "Hope, USA" initiative aimed at beautifying small business communities nationwide. The $50,000 grant funded the purchase and planting of nine native trees -- includiing Southern Live Oaks, Magnolias, and Mountain Laurels. They were planted at the confluence of Hemisfair’s three parks—Yanaguana Garden, Civic Park and Tower Park. The funds were used to purchase the nine 6-caliper trees and to cover the costs of transportation, planting, and installation of an irrigation system.
Child playing in Yanaguana Garden
Hemisfair Launches Tree Donor Recognition App
During the ceremony, Hemisfair revealed its Tree Donor Recognition App, -- a new augmented-reality, web-based application created to showcase philanthropic contributions to the Hemisfair Conservancy’s environmental initiatives. The Wells Fargo Grove joins 11 sponsored trees in Yanaguana Garden. An additional 200 trees in Hemisfair’s Civic Park, which will break ground in January, are available for sponsorship.
Hemisfair coordinated with the City Arborist to pilot the program for tagging new trees with the app’s QR code.
“We wanted to create a special way to recognize donors who contribute to Hemisfair’s environmental sustainability,” Krause said. “This first-of-its-kind app allows us to uniquely honor their tribute or memorial while identifying the native tree they’ve sponsored.”
Hemisfair’s Tree Donor Recognition App is available at hemisfair.app or by scanning any tree QR Code at Hemisfair for the full augmented reality experience. Those interested in sponsoring a tree can contact the Hemisfair Conservancy at info@hemisfairconservancy.org or 210-262-2502. For more information, visit hemisfair.org/donate/tree-donor-recognition.
The “Wells Fargo Grove” was unveiled at a ceremony last week. This short video showcases the Wells Fargo initiative.
“Wells Fargo has a longstanding relationship with Hemisfair and we couldn’t be more excited to bring this initiative to San Antonio and support our local business community with this beautification project,” said Sandra Nannini, Board Chair of the Hemisfair Conservancy and Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo. “Small businesses are the heart of our communities and with the help of Hemisfair we’re able to amplify our green footprint while continuing to drive economic recovery.”
The Hope, USA campaign is designed to share hope with communities across the U.S. in support of small businesses. Through this effort, Wells Fargo is revitalizing business districts in more than a dozen cities across the country to encourage everyone to shop locally this holiday season.
“We’re thrilled to receive this investment from Wells Fargo,” said Anne Krause, Executive Director of the Hemisfair Conservancy. “Our small businesses are the energy behind Hemisfair’s success, offering food, drink and amenities for families visiting the park, creating jobs and contributing to the local economy. We’re grateful to our partners at Wells Fargo for selecting Hemisfair as a Hope, USA recipient just in time for the holiday season, when ‘choosing local’ is especially crucial for San Antonio small business owners.”
Hemisfair is currently home to eight local, small businesses: CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana, EnergyX Fitness, Lick Ice Creams, Magik Theatre, Paleteria San Antonio, Re:Rooted Urban Winery, and Box Street Social (Box Street opened its first brick-and-mortar location at Hemisfair this week). Künstler Tap and Brat-Haus, Bombay Bicycle Club and The Jerk Shack are slated to open at Hemisfair next year.
Thea Setterbo is the Director of Communications for Hemisfair
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