Patrons for Bellaire Parks and community donors presented a check to the Bellaire City Council on Oct. 6 for a community memorial project at Joe Gaither Park in memory of 8-year-old Blakely McCrory.

Don Bloomer, president of Patrons for Bellaire Parks, and other volunteers described a neighborhood-led effort that quickly raised funds to expand a proposed memorial bench into a playground feature, tribute plaque, bench and butterfly garden. "Within 3 or 4 weeks, we had raised $25,000 towards this project," a Patrons representative said, and contributions continued until the group reported it had more than $35,000 for the project.

The planned installation includes a butterfly climber (play structure), a large tribute sign honoring Blakely, a bench, and a planted butterfly garden in a corner of Joe Gaither Park. Staff said the equipment is scheduled to ship in November and that the city will coordinate a dedication and likely a butterfly release with the family once installation is complete.

Mayor Gus Pappas and council members thanked the family, neighbors and the Patrons volunteers for their fundraising and volunteer work. Council approved a resolution accepting the donation and amended the consent item to reflect the final donated amount; the motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: The project is a community-funded memorial that will add play equipment and landscaping to Joe Gaither Park and serve as an ongoing tribute. City staff and the Patrons group emphasized contributions will be used exclusively for park improvements tied to the project.