Nancy Lewis Park marks 30 years with celebration and Wind Phone dedication

The City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department and Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nancy Lewis Park and dedicate a Wind Phone at 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at the park, 2615 N. Logan Ave.

The event will recognize three decades of Nancy Lewis Park serving the community while highlighting the longstanding partnership between the City and Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care. Mayor Yemi Mobolade, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director Skyler Rorabaugh and Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation Executive Director Susan Edmondson will provide remarks.

"For 30 years, Nancy Lewis Park has been a place where people can gather, connect and enjoy the outdoors, which is a fitting reflection of Nancy Lewis' lasting impact on Colorado Springs," said Skyler Rorabaugh, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director. "This anniversary gives us an opportunity to honor that legacy while celebrating a longstanding partnership with Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care that continues to add meaningful ways for people to connect with this park and with one another."

As part of the celebration, Pikes Peak Hospice will dedicate a Wind Phone, a new park feature that offers people a quiet place to speak aloud to someone they have lost. The disconnected telephone line within a private "booth" provides a space for remembrance, reflection and connection while experiencing grief.

"There are more than 600 Wind Phones across the world," said Edmondson. "We hope this Wind Phone becomes a place where anyone experiencing loss can pause, remember someone they love and miss, and find a moment of comfort in a beautiful outdoor setting."

The Wind Phone builds on the longstanding partnership between Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services and Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care, including the organization's legacy bench program in the park.

Nancy Lewis Park opened in 1996 and was refreshed in 2016. Named for longtime Colorado Springs parks advocate and former Parks Director, Nancy Lewis, this park reflects her lasting impact on the community and her commitment to creating and preserving public spaces for residents to enjoy.