Guide to Garner 2020 edition | Page 14

For the Town of Garner, recreation and the great outdoors are a way of life Garner’s robust offering of trails, playgrounds, and recreational facilities and programming are the result of strategic investments by town’s leaders By Latisha Catchatoorian This article was produced in partnership with WRAL Digital Solutions. If you’re looking for a breath of fresh air in the heart of the Triangle, you’ll find it in Garner where there are plenty of ways to explore the outdoors, break a sweat and play to your heart’s content. The Town of Garner manages parks and green spaces that cover more than 475 acres—including White Deer Park, 96 acres of parkland with a LEED Gold Certified Nature Center that sits adjacent to Lake Benson Park. In addition, the 365-acre Lake Benson, located in Garner, offers boating and fishing opportunities thanks to a town-operated boathouse. The town’s robust offering of trails, playgrounds, and recreational facilities and programming are the result of strategic investments by Garner’s leaders that have greatly enhanced the quality of life for residents and visitors. “The town has invested roughly $37 million in parks and recreation facilities in Garner,” said Dr. Sonya Shaw, director of the town’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. “There’s also investment in programming that we offer to our citizens. We want our residents, and even our visitors, to be active and engaged.” Garner’s leaders have understood for decades that in order to build a community 12 garnernc.gov