How sad it was to see Discovery Green anything but green due to last summer's brutal drought. Starved for water, the grassy terrain cratered. Patches of brown proliferated. But all that has changed today and the park is a happy green space once again, thanks to the "Grow the Green" campaign.

You might recall that Discovery Green opted last summer to save the 100-year-old oaks, carefully rationing its limited water resources. Then, as the rains returned this spring, the team launched a campaign to raise $25,000 from private contributions to replace 20,000-plus yards of grass that had bitten the dust.

The fund drive was such a success that $126,000 was raised. Plantings have taken place in recent weeks and all is happily green once again.

Discovery Green patrons will be romping through fields of a hybrid Bermuda grass called TifSport. The grass is frequently planted on athletic fields and golf courses and can take the kind wear and tear a public park endures. Bring on the soccer cleats!

In addition to individual contributors, the Kinder Foundation, Exxon Mobil, Brown Foundation, Simmons Foundation and Phoenicia Specialty Foods contributed serious chunks of change for the project.