The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust Expands Its Support of Parks in Fairfax County

by | Nov 27, 2018 | Fairfax County Parks, Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust

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Arrowbrook Centre Dog Park was dedicated in August 2018

The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust continues to enlarge upon its tradition of supporting parks in Fairfax County, Virginia. Drawing upon its past contributions of Arrowbrook Centre Park and the Arrowbrook Wetland Nature Preserve to the Fairfax County Park Authority in 2010 and 2011, in August 2018 the Trust dedicated the Arrowbrook Centre Dog Park. While not an asset of the Park Authority, the dog park is open to the public and serves residents of Arrowbrook Centre and its environs. The Dog Park is named in memory of the late L. Farnum Johnson, Jr., one of the Trust’s original 7 co-trustees and the first Chairman of its Board of Trustees. Mr. Johnson owned 2 Black Labrador Retrievers, Blackjack and Lucky, who always enjoyed their regular visits to local dog parks. Farnum’s long-held dream of a dog park at Arrowbrook Centre has not been fulfilled.

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Residents of Fairfax County enjoy a concert at Arrowbrook Park.

The Trust also continues as a sponsor and chief benefactor of an annual summer concert series held in Arrowbrook Centre Park on Saturday evenings in July and August. The series commemorates the life of Ruth Launders and her beloved Arrowhead Farm, now the site of the Arrowbrook Centre Park. This series will mark its 8th consecutive year in 2019.

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Margaret Thaxton, Director of Development, Fairfax Co Park Foundation, Jeff Fairfield, Trustee of the RHLCT and Paul Nicholson, Farm Manager, Frying Pan Historical Farm Park stand next to the “No Till” planter.

In addition, the Trust continues to expand on its support of Frying Pan Historical Farm Park, a popular Fairfax County park in Herndon. For many years, through a special agreement between the Trust and the Fairfax County Park Authority, the staff of Frying Pan has harvested hay at Arrowbrook Centre for use in feeding its livestock at Frying Pan Park. Last year, using a grant from the Trust to the Fairfax County Park Foundation, Frying Pan Park purchased a specialized “no-till” planter for its use in planting grass seed at various locations including Arrowbrook Centre.

 

 

Contributed by Jeffrey J. Fairfield. Jeff is a Virginia attorney who has practiced in Herndon, Virginia since 1978. He is also on the Board of Trustees of The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust.