When Carl Ulmer heard about the volunteer work going on at Lee Park in September, he knew he wanted to get involved.
Ulmer’s children celebrated birthdays and regularly played at the park when they were younger.
Ulmer decided to organize a fundraiser and got inspiration from his grandson for the perfect name.
“We do a thing at Sweet Peppers (called) cars and coffee, and Sweet Peppers always donates cookies,” Ulmer told The Dispatch. “And my grandson … said, ‘I want to go see hot rods and cookies.’ And my daughter called me and told me that would be a great name for an event. … (Then) I started putting things together.”
Ulmer called Colin Krieger, a local Realtor and one of the organizers of the effort to improve Lee Park, and the two coordinated the “Hot Rods and Cookies” fundraiser, set for noon to 4 p.m. Sunday on Second Avenue North near Zachary’s restaurant.
The event will feature a car show and a bake sale of donated items. All proceeds from the event will be given to the Columbus Arts Council, primarily for supplies to revamp murals at the park.
Krieger said by Thursday morning, the event already had plans to receive 30 different donations of food items, including sausage biscuits, donuts and cookies, which will feed at least 100 people. Krieger said organizers are expecting more donations to come in before Sunday.
Organizers hope to raise between $2,000 and $3,000, he said.
“If there’s something that we need, … (this will) save Parks and Rec(reation) or the city money, because we’re trying to do it as a community endeavor,” Krieger said.
Ulmer is expecting at least 30 vehicles at the car show, which is the typical amount for most fundraising events he has organized, he said. While the cruise-in won’t have an entry fee, Ulmer said organizers will be asking for donations from those who participate.
“It’s a cruise-in type event where people come and hang out and enjoy the day and show your car off and talk to your buddies and meet new friends,” Ulmer said.
Columbus Arts and Council Executive Director Quan Walker said the council’s plan is to take a group of Mississippi University for Women Art and Design students later this year to repaint murals at the park.
“(We’re) basically reviving the paintings that’s in the Lee Park, all the paint murals they have there,” Walker said. “So it’s something I’ve been wanting to do anyhow. … So we’re going to team up with The W art students, and get them over there to do some community work.”
So far from volunteer work and donations from community members, the park has received new wooden fencing, new mulch in the play area and a new roof on the pavilion area at the park, Krieger said. Volunteers plan to finish most of the simple repairs and painting before the end of the year.
“We’re going to (leave) the heavy-duty repairs that civilians shouldn’t be doing be finished by Parks and Rec,” Krieger said.
Columbus Parks and Recreation Department will continue renovations at the park with $30,000 set aside from the city’s $4.4 million plan to update parks, which was approved in 2023, Director Greg Lewis said.
This work includes renovating the park’s bathrooms, installing a new swingset, powerwashing the roofs of structures at the park and installing new picnic tables and benches, Lewis said.
“That’s going to be something that … probably should be complete in January,” Lewis said.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
