People tend to become apprehensive when surrounded by too many dogs, but perhaps there’s something we can learn from our better halves.
“People were always freaked out about how you can get all these dogs together?” says Diane Dynis, race director of the Tail Chase: A Bare Bones Dog Fun Run (formerly the Lakewood Love Run).
“In the 11 years we’ve had the run, there was never one dog fight; they would all be playing with one another.”
Hopefully, that will be the scene at the first annual White Rock Lake Festival May 17-19, when a handful of neighborhood groups that have worked independently to raise money and awareness for White Rock Lake join forces to do a lot more. The organizers hope to present an event appropriate in scope, if not quite yet in size, for the cause it benefits.
“This is just one more step toward where we’re trying to get to with White Rock Lake,” says neighborhood resident Susan Falvo, president of the White Rock Lake Foundation and festival vice chair, “which is to truly make it the jewel of Dallas, which it’s got a real good shot a being.”
Dallas Northeast Chamber president and neighborhood resident Don Wilson, along with festival chairman Brian McKellar and others formed a committee months ago that set as its goal the designation of one weekend during which many of the Lake’s major fund-raisers could be held.
The weekend kicks off Friday afternoon with the Foundation’s golf tournament.
“Brian and Don Wilson did a real good job of getting all the groups together,” says Falvo, who says linking her organization’s major fund-raiser with the new festival was an easy decision.
“Rather than having a one-day golf tournament, we’re now able to spread our message through three days of functions, and that’s really good for everyone.”
Day 2 of the Festival begins Saturday morning with the White Rock ‘n’ Roll Run, after which the rest of the day will amble along with a host of new events, including a Taste of Northeast Dallas food gathering, an art exhibit at Winfrey Point, a water sports festival, and a Kids Funzone.
“We hope that it’s gonna be fun for families and the community,” says neighborhood resident Steve Tompkins, president of For The Love of The Lake. “Hopefully, the Festival will be a success this year and become a continual annual event to highlight White Rock Lake, and of course to generate resources for the continued improvements of the lake and the park in general.”
The Festival closes Sunday with the dog run and, later that evening, a sponsor dinner at Lakewood Country Club.
“We’re starting out relatively small,” Falvo says, “although this is something that we see growing and growing every year to add other group and other venues, other types of events, so that we have a full three days of festival kind of things for people to do. I think we are going to have all groups that have an interest in White Rock Lake want to get involved this time in the future.
“But you have to start somewhere.”
