I have this friend in Dallas who made a bunch of money and wanted to do something constructive with it. So....... [View all]

Not only did his workplace, a company he helped found, give him a comfortable income, but he is an investment wizard. He is no billionaire, but he was probably closing in on a tenth of that. He donates to the arts and to political candidates, although he hasn't really gotten excited about anybody since Howard Dean. Sometimes, I think he just continues to do it to keep me off his back. But he really wanted to do something on a bigger scale (the David Halperin on the board of directors is not the guy I am talking about). So he and the city of Dallas came up with the idea of an inter-neighborhood park that would benefit tens, maybe ultimately hundreds of thousands. He got friends, city planners, community leaders, and a LOT of etc. to contribute ideas and concepts, including to span and connect diverse neighborhoods to promote idea exchange without barriers. Doing that is probably not without its dangers, but I doubt he has overlooked that aspect. He donated somewhere upward of $20 million--a serious chunk of his net worth--to make it reality. What he calls the first phase is now complete. He is looking for co-sponsors to help him with phase two, but it did open recently.

For a brief look at all that is, and will be going on there, the park has its own website: www.halperinpark.org

He had previously told me that he was "donating a park" to the city of Dallas, but he is not one to toot his horn and yell "lookit me!" So, I had just imagined some newly grassy areas on a bridge that spanned two communities, maybe some park benches and a baseball field, What did I know about pavillions, playgrounds and interactive fountains? I do not have the kind of money that allows me to just think up and then realize such undertakings. But he did, and he did. I'm impressed anyway.