Bluebonnet and LCRA representatives present a $25,000 grant to the Burton Friends and Neighbors for lighting upgrades at Burton Park. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Grants program. Pictured, from left, are Kate Ramzinski, LCRA regional affairs representative; Landry Fuchs, Fuchs Haus Construction project coordinator; Abigail and Caroline Blanding, daughters of Melissa Blanding; Kyle Merten, Bluebonnet Brenham-area community representative; Angie Fritsch, Burton Friends and Neighbors board member; Dustin Majewski, Washington County commissioner, Precinct 4; Robert Mikeska, Bluebonnet Board Secretary/Treasurer; Nathan Kalkhake, City of Burton city council, Position 1; Ben Flencher, Bluebonnet Board Chairman; Stephen F. Cooper, LCRA board chair; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA board member; Kendall Prenzler, BF&N board member; Darrell Kieke, BF&N board chair; Melissa K. Blanding, LCRA board member; Terri Smith, BF&N board treasurer; Hannah Krebs, BF&N board secretary and daughters Lynette and Collins; Virginia Roberts, BF&N founder; Jane Hinze and Barbara Schoenemann, BF&N board members; Chasidy Nowicki, Bluebonnet intern; and Joy Fuchs, BF&N volunteer and grant writer.
Burton Friends and Neighbors will soon upgrade lighting at Burton Park, a central recreational hub for the community, thanks to a $25,000 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The community grant, along with more than $98,000 in matching funds from Burton Friends and Neighbors, will help replace the park’s original lighting system with energy-efficient LED fixtures designed to improve visibility, reduce glare and enhance safety for athletes, coaches and spectators.
“The current lighting system at the park is more than 20 years old and was originally repurposed from a local junior college field,” said Darrell Kieke, chair of Burton Friends and Neighbors. “While it has served the community for years, the aging infrastructure has led to higher maintenance demands, reduced efficiency and visibility challenges during evening use. With improved lighting, we can better support the athletes, families and volunteers who rely on these fields, while also reducing long-term operational costs that are critical for keeping the park accessible and affordable.”
Burton Friends and Neighbors was formed by members of the community who saw the need for a dedicated recreational space in Burton. What began as a shared vision has grown into Burton Park, now a central location for youth sports, tournaments and community gatherings in partnership with the City of Burton.
“Burton Park has become a true gathering place for families across Burton and the surrounding area,” Kieke said. “Our organization is completely volunteer-based, and from the very beginning this has been a community effort.”
He said members donated the land and Blinn College helped install lights in the park’s early days.
“Today, our volunteers continue to staff the concessions and help maintain the park,” he said. “We are deeply appreciative of this grant, which supports a community initiative that is ultimately all about giving back to the kids.”
This is one of five grants recently awarded by Bluebonnet and LCRA through LCRA’s Community Grants program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. Bluebonnet is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available at lcra.org/grants.