Huntersville's Henderson Park Rallies Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

HUNTERSVILLE, NC — From school closings to stay-at-home orders, there's hardly an aspect of life that feels untouched by the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak and the restrictions imposed meant to slow its spread. Residents in one Huntersville neighborhood, however, are rallying together, while spread apart, in order to cheer each other up.

In Henderson Park, a neighborhood off Bud Henderson Road, community spirit takes the form of a little library turning into a "blessing box" filled with pandemic supplies like toilet paper and masks, to a neighbor making the rounds dressed up as the Easter Bunny.

This weekend, for example, residents are hosting a safari-themed scavenger hunt for children. "Let's create a fun safari walk for the kiddos this weekend!" reads a message on the nieghborhood's Facebook page. Residents who want to participate are asked to put a stuffed animal or artwork featuring one on their porch or by a window so it can be seen from the street. "Let's see how many animals you can spot on your safari walk!"

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The Town of Davidson recently organized a similar "bear hunt" scavenger hunt for residents.

"This isn’t something organized by an HOA or a specific committee of people. This is done by regular people in the community," Henderson Park resident Lisa Smith told Patch in an email. "It’s just good people wanting to keep everyone’s spirits up in a dark time," she said.

Smith, who relocated to Huntersville from Ohio five years ago, said the community has come together in ways during the pandemic that she never would have imagined.

"Right now Facebook and the internet is just filled with people arguing and criticizing and being anxious and hopeless," Smith said. "It’s nice to see examples of regular people trying to be kind and help each other," she said.

"It feels good to be here at this time and even though I’m quarantined alone, I don’t feel very alone."

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