A simple request for you on your afternoon jog

We pass them every day on our way to work. We go with our families, take our pets, and walk alongside them during the day. We’ve come to appreciate parks in a whole new way because of the pandemic. Whether it’s a run or a nice walk with a buddy of yours, these urban getaways have provided us with an outlet for all that we have experienced during the past year.

They’ve also provided us with a place to deepen our understanding of our community.

When was the last time you took the time to learn about why the park was named the way it was? With the change many Denver neighborhoods are experiencing, an important marker of pre-gentrified Denver is our parks and their namesakes. The OG Denverites whose names are enshrined in our parks show us the power of community and the leaders that make this city the place to live in the country.

Walking along the Ruth Lucille Dreiling Park, all it takes is a simple Google search to learn of her community activism and lobbying of local official’s to ensure the cleanup and eventual founding of the neighborhood park that bears her name.

Then there is Paco Sanchez Park, named after the local DJ, who saw a need for a Spanish radio station for Denver’s Latinos and didn’t stop until he was the rightful owner of a Denver’s Spanish-language radio station in 1954 .

La Raza Park has served as a cultural hub for the working-class Latinos of North Denver for decades.

These aren’t just parks, their our history. Take some time out of your jog to learn about the Denverites of the past, so we can ensure the Denverites of the future are moving the city in the right direction.

Esteban Ortiz III, Denver