As a San Antonio native, I was personally excited to take part in the Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community project at Travis Park. This spring, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the re-opening of Travis Park alongside my Cohearts. We kicked off the morning with Zumba and yoga classes followed by games and good ole’ fun. Gary Kelly and Mayor Castro held a press conference and celebrated the rededication to Travis Park. Once farmland, the park has seen many changes throughout the years and is now covered with colorful chairs and umbrellas. There’s a cart full of books, compliments of Southwest Airlines, that can be borrowed while you soak up the rays. The park also continues to offer movie nights, boot camp classes, and other family- and pet-friendly activities for the community, as well as live music, entertainment, and a variety of food trucks. It is a perfect place for families to enjoy. 
It was at this Travis Park event that Southwest announced its Heart of the Community program. Through Heart of the Community, Southwest is partnering with Project for Public Spaces (PPS), the pioneering nonprofit behind Placemaking, a community-driven process that reimagines public spaces. Together, Southwest and PSS collaborate with local community partners in cities across the country to bring new life to their public spaces, and I’m thankful my hometown was chosen as a recipient. 
My family and I LUV the downtown area, and, with two small children, it’s hard for us to meander around without wanting to hitch a ride with a passing horse and carriage. On a recent carriage ride, the young lady who led the tour was full of information about the area. It was especially exciting when loping past the park that she shared that this was the “new and improved” Travis Park and that Southwest Airlines helped to revitalize it. My youngest shrieked when she heard the mention of Southwest and had to tell our guide that that was where I worked. I was beaming with pride knowing that we had made a difference in our local community! Southwest looks forward to continuing our relationship with Travis Park as we come together for our Fall Systemwide event during Spirit Week. My family is one of many who has been drawn to downtown San Antonio as a result of the revitalization of Travis Park. I know my family will continue to return to Travis Park and enjoy how the park’s transformation has inspired change throughout our city. I hope you’ll all come and experience it for yourselves.