Picnic for the Park Picnic Raises $119,000 for Cullinan Park


The Cullinan Park Conservancy (CPC) raised $119,000 for park improvements at its 6th Annual Picnic for the Park presented by Memorial Hermann. Supporters of the park gathered on October 7th at River Pointe Church to raise funds for the expansion and improvement of trails, beautification of White Lake and design and construction of a future Learning, Exploration and Play (LEAP) area for children.

In an effort to promote healthy lifestyles in our community, Memorial Hermann has partnered with the Conservancy to support Cullinan Park and the outdoor nature experience the park offers to all. Studies show that spending time in nature can improve both physical and mental health, and the medical providers at Memorial Hermann want to support and promote outdoor experiences. Malisha Patel, Senior Vice President and CEO, Memorial Hermann Southwest and Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, facilitated an eye-opening discussion with Drs. Sameer Murali and Melissa Kwan on wellness, emphasizing the importance of equitable access to nature and how that positively impacts community health.     

“Many thanks to our generous sponsors, loyal patrons and new donors who support our efforts to enhance and protect the natural beauty of Cullinan Park. It’s wonderful to see that so many in our community value Cullinan as much as I do,” said Development Chair Gay Thompson.   

“We were also honored to present the Nina Cullinan Award to faithful supporters Doug and Susie Goff,” added Thompson. “The Goffs have been instrumental in supporting our mission for many, many years, and we appreciate their leadership and generosity.”

Winners of the 2022 Cullinan Park Photo Contest were announced at the Picnic. The contest drew more than 300 entries from across the greater Houston area including incredible images of the birds, wildlife, flora and scenery found at the 754-acre nature park.

“We had a huge spike in the number of photographers visiting Cullinan this year, and that is reflected in our contest entries. We were blown away by the quality and variety of images, making the judges’ task very difficult. The winning shots are amazing, and many of our honorable mention photos are magazine cover-worthy,” said contest organizer Robbin Mallett.

Three accomplished local photographers served as contest judges: Mary Favre, John Whitt and Greg Lavaty. The contest was sponsored by Oxbow Advisors, LLC, and all entries had to be taken within Cullinan Park, located just north of Sugar Land Regional Airport at 12414 Highway 6 South in Sugar Land.

In the adult group, the following entries won first place in their respective categories:  Birds – “Tangled Up Little Blues” by Sue Mitchell; Wildlife – “Baby Possum” by Roger Hutchison; Eagle/Osprey – “Live Another Day” by Clarence Yeung; Landscape – “Morning Reflection” by Kent Lim; and Flora – “Spreading Out” by Janaki Wallooppillai.

The youth winners ranged from ages seven to 15. Winning first place were: Wildlife – “Creature Hidden in the Deep” by Saketh Tammisetti; Birds – “Standing Watch” by Tyler Lockwood; Landscape – “Waiting for the Right One” by Rishi Eti; and Flora – “Golden Bloom” by Tyler Lockwood.

All of the winning photo contest entries can be viewed at www.cullinanparkconservancy.org.