HARRA REACHES ITS GOAL OF RAISING $25,000 FOR THE MARK F. FRASER REMEMBRANCE FUND FOR A NEW STRETCHING CENTER AT MEMORIAL PARK

Peter Birckhead, with the HARRA Board of Directors, announced today, November 12, 2012, that $25,531 has been collected for The Mark Fraser Remembrance Fund.

Over 130 Houston area runners and supporters including, HARRA and its member clubs, made the achieved of this goal possible. The Mark Fraser Remembrance Fund was established last June with a goal of raising $25,000 for the expressed purpose of providing funding for the overall cost of a newly designed and constructed Stretching Area at Memorial Park. In cooperation with Kirksey Architecture, who donated their design concepts, the Memorial Park Conservancy and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, a donation of $25,531 will be made by HARRA, in the remembrance of Mark Fraser, to fund this project. Birckhead further stated " We were able to achieve our goal with a huge helping hand from the Houston Marathon Foundation who made a very generous donation to the fund just last week". All donated monies will be given to the Memorial Park Conservancy who will in turn contract for construction services.

Special recognition and appreciation goes to the following "ELITE TEAM" OF CONTRIBUTORS who each donated $250+:

Houston Marathon Foundation	Karen Thibodeaux	Edward Fry
Andy Stewart/Finish Line Sports	Janet Sutton	Scott Bounds
Peter and Elizabeth Birckhead	Manny Valle	Sue Leone
Dr. Robert Hoekman	Fred Steves	William Hayes
Houston Area Road Runners Association	Joe Carey

Plans for the project are well underway with an estimated start date to begin construction of next month or early January 2013. The City of Houston and Houston Parks and Recreation Department are reviewing construction drawings that were donated by Kudela & Weinheimer Landscape Architecture. Harvey Builders has agreed to donate the building of the new stretching center, in-kind donations of material are being secured and Environmental Design, Inc has agreed to donate several large trees that will be used to provide immediate shading in the area of the new stretching center.

Bob Inaba, EVP with Kirksey Architecture, noted "that with total project costs exceeding $150,000 due to enhancements and additional requirements, there is still a need for more cash donations" HARRA has done its part in contributing to the project, but we still need contributions in addition to the in-kind that has already been secured from the above named firms. If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution please make checks out to Memorial Park Conservancy and send them to Bob Inaba c/o Kirksey Architecture 6909 Portwest Drive, Houston, Texas 77024.

For more information, please contact the Program Director, Peter Birckhead by email or at 713-819-1980.