HOUSTON - And the winner is... Wagner Greenspace! The half-acre undeveloped space near downtown Houston will receive a $20,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Walt Disney Company to help make improvements and turn it into a community park. The funds will help pay for tree plantings, seeding, benches, bird houses, interpretative signs and trash bins to help transform the space into a neighborhood gathering spot for fun and healthy activities.

"NRPA is proud to collaborate with The Walt Disney Company and their ESPN and ABC Television media networks on these exciting programs," said Rebecca Wickline, NRPA senior vice president of development. "ESPN and Disney ABC Television group have the power to help us reach hundreds of millions of people and their investment supports our vision that everyone deserves a great park and will bring children and families closer together through the power of parks and play. Congratulations to this year's grant recipients."

The finished product at Wagner will be a nature-based recreation area that will support birds and other wildlife while providing opportunities for nearby residents to connect with nature. Woodland Park and Dow Park were also in the running for the funds in Houston.

"This is a great day for the Wagner Greenspace's surrounding community because it's an area in high need of parks," says Steve Wright, Houston Parks and Recreation Director. "Once improvements are completed, it will give area residents a direct link to nature and healthy living. And a big thank you goes out to The Walt Disney Corporation and the National Recreation and Park Association for making it all possible."

The Meet Me at the Park Earth Month campaign is in its fourth year. It's part of the National Recreation and Park Association and Disney's commitment to provide 1 million kids and families with greater access to play.

Work on the Wagner Greenspace is expected to begin next month. Ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the new space should happen in late August.

To learn more about Meet Me at the Park, visit www.nrpa.org/disneymeetmeatthepark.

To learn more about NRPA, visit www.nrpa.org.