Chronicle: The Gallagher Family's Gift

CHRONICLING THE STORIES AND PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS KET. ' ’S WATCH 7’S CHRONICLE. CONTRIBUTE TO OUR GRANDPARENTS THAT THEY ARE GOING TOE B REMEMBERED AND THAT GALLAGHER PARK WILL BE A A REMINDER OF THEM AND THAT IT IS FULFILLING HER WISH OF ALLOWING PEOPLE. TO COMEND A PARTICIPATE AND BE OUTSIDE AND BE FREE AND TO ENJOY AND TO BE THEMSELVES TO HAVE FUN. AND OMAHA FAMILY IS MAKING SURE THE LEGACY OF THEIR GRANDMOTHER THAT SHE STARTED DECADES AGO WILL BE AROUND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO ENJOY. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR KETV NEWS. WATCH SIMON’S CHRONICLE. I’M JULIE CORNELL. FEW WEEKS AGO WE BROUGHT YOU THIS EXCLUSIVE REPORT THAT THE GALLAGHER FAMILY FOUNDATION IS GIFTING MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE GALLAGHER PARK. THAT’S ON NORTH 52ND STREET NEAR MAPLE STREET AND NORTHSTWE RADIAL HIGHWAY IN BENSON. IT IS THE LARGEST FAMILY GIFT IN THE HISRYTO OF THE OMAHA PARKS FOUNDATION. IT’S THE PARK THEIR GRANDMOTHER INITIALLY HELPED CREATE IN THE 1950S. THIS MORNING WE’RE TALKING WITH THE MILYFA ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING HER MISSION. PLUS. WE’LL TALK WITHHE T OMAHA PARKS FOUNDATION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THEIR GIFT ONHE T COMMUNITY FIRST THE GALLAGHER FAMILY SHARES THEIR VISION FOR OMAHA’S GREEN SPACE. THINGS OBVIOUSLY WILL HAVE THE PATHWAYS THREE SISTERS STROLL THROUGH GALLAGHER PARK REMEMBERING THEIR GRANDMOTHER WHO MADE THIS PLACE POSSIBLE ALMOST 70 YEARS AGO. SHE JTUS WANTED TO TO DO IT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE HAVE GREEN SPACE. HE SAID EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT GREEN SPACE NOW. YES, SHE WAY AHEAD OF THE TIME. HE IS RACLHE GALLAGHER A COMMUNITY LEADER PHILANTHROPIST AND PARKS ADVOCATE DURING THE 50S S 60AND 70S. SHE SAVED. THREE OMAHA PARKS FROM DEMISE ENWH SHE WAS VERY BRIGHT. SHE WAS VERY WELL READ. SHE WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. SHE LOVED PEOPLE SHE WAS VERY PERSUASIVE, BUT SHE PERSUADED THWI A VERY VELVET GLOVE. IN THAT SHE LISTEDNE SHE DISCOVERED THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT JUST ONE PERSON COMING IN GIVING THE MONEY DOESN’T DO IT. THE TURN OF THE CENTURY THE GALLAGHER FAMILY SWA ROOTED IN OMAHA WITH BUTTERNUT COFFEE AND OTHER BRAND NESAM AND THEIR SUCCESS MEANT SUCCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY. RAELCH GALLAGHER WAS FORWARD-THINKING. THINKING SHE CARRIED SHE LISTENED. ESH WAS A PEOPLE PERSON WHEN INTERSTATE 80 DEVELOPMENT. AND THE OLD RIVERVIEW PARK RACHEL GALLAGHER FOUGHT BACK. THE LAND IS NOW THE HENRY DOORLY ZOO. SHE WAS PROTECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY. AND WHAT IT HELD? FOR PELEOP WHO NEEDED SPACE IN THE 50S HER NOW NAMESAK PEARK GALLAGHER WAS AN OLD AMUSEMENT PARK SLATED TO BECEOM APARTMENTS NOW DECADES LATER A LITTLE WORN AROUND THE EDGES GALLAGHER PKAR IS BECOMING NEW AGAIN. JUST AN INCREDIBLE STORY AND AND WE’RE SO FORTUNATE TOE B A PART OF THAT OMAHA’S PARK’S DIRECTOR SAYS HAVING GREASE MAKES LIFE BETTER EXPERIENCES AS PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IT IT’S MORE THAN JUST PHYSICAL. IT’MES NTAL. IT’S EMOTIONAL THE GALLAGHER FAMILY FOUNDATION IS DONATING 1.6 MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE GALLAGHER PARK ENHANCE THE POOL THE BLAL FEELS THE ENTIRE GREEN SPACE. THEY’LL ADD HALF-COURT BASKETBALL A NEW PLAROYGUND IS SPLASH PAD A WALKING PATH AND RENOVATE THE FOUNTAIN. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT THEY CAMEO T US AND THAT THEY REMEMBER WHO YOU KNOW, WHO WHAT WHERE THEY STARTED AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANT TO THEM. THIS IS FOR THE GENERATIONS. TO COME THAT WE ARE LEAVING FOR GENERATION AFTER GENERATION. PARTICIPATE AS A FAMILY AS A TEAM AS A GROUP THE PARKS FOUNDATI SONAYS IT’S A TOUCHING GIFT. THEY ARE VERY INTENT ON THE LOVE EYTH HAVE FOR THEIR FAMILY AND HONORING THE LEGACY AND PASSION OF TIRHE GRANDMOTHER THAT PASSION CONTINUED WITH THE VISION OF THREE SISTERS CARRYING ON THE FAMILY LEGACY RACHEL’S WAY. HE REALLY FEEL AS THOUGH WE HAVE A PURPOSE. WE HAVE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY. TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS MONEY IS SPENT IN A WONDERFUL WAY. AND SO HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE FAMILIES GET WILL PAY FOR $100,000 WILL GO TOWARD RENOVATING THE FOUNTAIN. IT WAS BUILT IN 1967 AND LATER DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF PAUL GALLAGHER. 200,000 WILL BE SPENTO T RENOVATE THE PLAYGROUND WITH WINGS A SPINNER SEANGTI AND MORE AND THEN 650,000 OF THE DONATION WILL GO TOWARDS A 2000 SQUARE FOOT SPLASH PAD. POOL SLIDE AND IN POOL SPRAY FEATURES THERE’S ALSO A $50,000 GIFT FOR HALF COURT BASKETBALL COURT IN TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A WALKING LOOP. THIS IS ALL VERY EXCITING JOINING ME NOW THE TEEHR SISTERS MIMI JEAN AND KATHY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE. RACHEL GALLAGHER WAS A VISIONARY. WHAT WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT HER MIMI WHAT I WANT PEOPLE TO KW,NO IS THAT SHE FELT THE PARKS OR THE LIFE BLOOD OF A COMMUNITY. THEY WEREHE T OF A COMMUNITY IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE PARKS YOU DIDN’T VEHA A COMMUNITY IF RACIAL GALLAGHER’S STORY INSPIRES. PEOPLE TO PROTECT GREEN SPACE AND TO DONATE TO PARKS THEN HER STORY WILL HAVE BEEN WORTH TELLING AND OUR STORY OF GIVING BACK TO PARKS. OUR STORY WILL HAVE BEEN WORTH TELLING TO WELL. YOU'R’ CERTAINLY SETTING A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE. DEAN WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR GRANDMOTHER? OH THAT SHE WAS LOVED EVERYBODY AND SHE HOLD OTHER LIFE OTHER THAN SAVING THE PARKS. IN THAT BECAUSE SHE LOVED THE OUTDRSOO HERSELF. SHE PLAYED GOLF AND SHE WHAT WAS THE OTHER I HEARD SHE WAS AN AVID WALKER. IS THAT RIGHT? YES, THAT’S ABSOLUTELY TRUE. SHE LOVED THAT AND SHE JUST ENJOYED EVERYTHING THAT HAD TO HAPPEN. RIGHT AND I LOVE THAT YOU ADDED THE WALKING PATH BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE WOULD HAVE DONE. IS THAT RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. ABSOTELULY, AND WE’RE GOING TO HAVE BENCHES AROUND THE WALKING PATH SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SIT AND TALK AND ENJOYHE T WEATHER THAT THAT’S GOING ON. SHE WAS REALLY A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE. ESH HAD QUALITIES THAT WERE UNKNOWN BACK IN THAT AGE WAS A CONSENSUS BUILDER AT A TIME WHEN WOMEN WERE WEREN’T REALLY SUPPOSED TO SPEAK UP WORD, YOU KNOW? NO THEY WEREN’T AND SHE WAS SHE WAS CHARMING. SHE WAS INTELLIGENT AND ANYONE COULD SPEAK TO HER AND SHE WOULD GIVE YOU HER TIME TO LISTEN TO WHAT YOUAD H TO SAY. SHE WAS REALLY A UNIQUE PERSON AS WE ALL ARE BUT SHE WAS REALLY UNIQUE. I WALKED THRGHOU ELMWOOD PARK EVERY DAY. AND NOW THAT I KNOW THE I THINK ABOUT HER. HOW DID SHE SAVE ELMWOOD RKPA MIMI? OH, SHE SAVED ELMWOOD PARK BECAUSEHE T UNIVERSITY OF OMAHA KEPT AT KEPT TRYING TO TAKE PIECES AWAY MORE LAND, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY, AND THEN ESH WOULD HAVE SOME OF THE STUDENTS CAME TO HER TO SAY TTHA THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PARKING LOT. AND SHE SAID WELL, THAT’D BE WONDERFU BUTL, DON’T DON’T YOU THINK WALKING WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING TO DO TOO. SO MBEAY DON’T PARK MAYBE WALK AND GET SOME EXERCISE THE WAY SHE AND SHE’SHE T WAS THE EXAMPLE OF WALKING. THERE YOU GO, SEE WHAT THEY WANTED TO BUILD A BIG PARKING GARAGE, RIGHT? YES GRADUALLY TAKE TAKE OVER MORE SPACE. YES. SPARK IS GONE. IT DOESN’T COME BACK. IT DOES THAT’S RIGHT. AND SO IMPROVING GALLAGHER IS JU AST NATURAL. IS THAT RIGHT KATHY? BUT THAT IS TRUE. THERE WAS ALL THERE’S ALSO SHE WAS A GARDENER. OKAY, AND SHE HAD ROSESND A SHE HAD ALL SORTS OF BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND SHE WOULD TELL STORIES ABOUT HER FLOWERS. WE ALWAYS HAD FRESH FLOWERS WHEN WE WENT OVER THERE FOR DINNER AND SHE WOULD TALK ABOUT HOW ROSES DO NOT LIKE ANYBODY ELSE IN BED WITH THEM. AND IIKE L TO BE BY THEMSELVES. THAT’S RIGHT IT GAVE YOU FOR ME BEING A LITTLE PERSON LIKE FIVE YEARS OLD IT GAVE ME AN APPRECIATION OF THE THESE ROSES THESE FLOWERS BEING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I’D LIKE TO GO TO BED, RIGHT WHO WANTED, YOU KNOW THEIR OWN SPACE AND TIME. SHE SHE DUMMIED EVERYTHING DOWN THE THINGS THAT YOU YES. S,YE AND I REMEMBER I REMEMBER HER TELLING STORIES ABOUT HER FLOWERS AND SHE WOULD TALK TO THEM WHEN SHE WOULD GO. OUT I LOVE THAT SHE WOULD TALK TO THEM AND AND SHE KNEW ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT SON WAS GOING TO HURT HER SKIN AND SHE HAD PORCELAIN BEAUTIFUL WHITE SKIN OH YOU ALL HAVE BEAUTIFUL SKIN. THANK YOU. ANYWAY, SO SHE WOULD WREA A LONG SLEEVE SHIRT AND A VYER LONG DRESS AND GLOVES AND A VERY WIDE-RIMPED. YES, AND AND THEN SHE WOULD GO OUT AND TALK TO HER FLOWERS AND WONDERFUL THEM AND THEN AND THAT’S WHAT WE WOULD HAVE AND ENJOY THEM. OH, YH,EA THE RANGE THEM. OH, YES, BUT THE DINING ROOM TO AND AROUND THE HOUSE. WE WOULD WE WOULD SEE HER HER HANDY WORK. WELL THE GALLAGHERS WERE ONE OF THE FOUNDING FAMILIES OF OMAHA AND THEIR BUSINESS WAS COPY. IS THAT RIGHT JEAN? WELL, IT WAS STARTED OUT BEING WHOLESALE GROCERIES OKAY, WHOLESALE HARDWARE AND COFFEE AND LIQUOR. AND THEN WHEN THE GROCERY STORE CAME IN THEY WHAT THE WHOLESALE GROCERY IN THE HARDWARE STORE WENT AWAY, BUT THE COFFEE STAYED AND THE FIRST STATE AND IT WAS BUTTERNUT COFFEE. YES AND HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER TASTED BUTTERNUT COFFEE? YEAH. YES. YOU DID. HOW LONG AGO HAS IT BEEN GONE. IT WAS SOLD TO FOLGERS. IS THAT RIGHT? IT WAS IT WAS SO SWANS ONCE WANTED. OH WHY NOT ONCE AND SOUL TO CAMPBELL’S MPCABELL’S, OKAY. AND WAS IT DELICIOUS DELICIOUS SEVEN DIFFERENTLY THE COFFEE DIVISION WAS PURCHASED BY DUNCAN COFFEE THE HOUSTON AND AND IT WAS SOLD AGAIN AND CURRENTLY IT’S BEEN MADE BY PROERCT & GAMBLE IT IS AND YOU CAN STILL GET BUTTERNUT COFFEE. YOU CAN STILL GET IT HERE IN OMAHA AS WELL AS ON THE EAST COAST. ALL RIGHT, I’M GONNA LOOK IN THE SHELVES. OKAY. WELL, MAYBE I FEEL LIKE WITH THE FOUNDATION YOU COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO WITH A WHY WHY GALLAGHER PARK MIMI? WELL GALLAGHER PARK WAS A NATURAL BECAUSE OF OUR GR ANDMOTHER AND SHE TOLD US ALL ABOUT PARKSND A SHE WAS SO HAPPY TO HAVE A PARK NAMED AFTER HER AND SO WE JUST WE COULD HAVE GIVEN IT TO ANYBODY BUT WE FELT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR IT TO GO TO A PLACE WHERE PAUL RACHEL AND BEN. GALLAGHER WHO STARTED THE FOUNDATION WOULD HAVE ONE OF THE MONEY GO TO SO WEET G WE’RE THE LUCKY ONES WHO GET TO ENJOY REALLY A DREAM COME TRUE THEIR DREAM COME TRUE. WE GET TO LIVE IT. I LOVE THAT AND THEY WILL I’M SURE THEY’RE HAPPY ABOUT THIS TOO. I THINK SO TOO KATHY. I LIKE THAT. IT’S IT’S A NEW PARK LIKE IT HAS ALL THE NEW FEATURES THAT EVERYBODY WANTS A SPLASH PAD. I MEAN, WE IT WAS UNHEARDF O YEARS AGO. RIGHT? RIGHT, AND WE KEEP REORGANIZING AND DAN MAKING SURE THAT THE PARK IS UP TO DATE. SOHE T PEOPLE WILL ENJOY IT IN THE COMMUNITY WILL COME AND AND USE IT AND INVEST IT AND REALLY ENJOY THE TIME THAT THEY HAVE AT THE PARK. THERE’S NO GREATER INVESTMENT THAN HAVING TIME TOGETHER, AND I WANT TO TNKHA YOU LADIES FOR FOR INVESTING IN OUR PARKS AND OUR PEOPLE AND NO BRAINER. THEY THANK YOU. SO LET US TELL OUR STORY. I APPRECIATE IT. THANKOU Y STILL TO COME THE OMAHA PARKS FOUNDATION TALKS ABOUT THE GALLAGHER FAMILY’S GENERO GUSIFT. WE THINK THE WORLD OF THEM AND THEY ARE ONE OF THE NICEST TIGHT-ITKN FAMILIES THAT I’VE EVER WORKED WITH ARE COME TO KNOW THEY THINK THE WORLD OF THEIR MOTHER AND THEIR GRANDMOTHER RACHEL GALL. WHO IS THE REASON THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY HER PASSION FOR THE PARKS? HOW THEY PLAN TO TURN THAT PASSION INTO A BUSTLING PARK IN THE HEART OF BENSON YOU WATCHING KETV, NEWSWATCH 7’S CHRONI