The Woodlands celebrates 40th anniversary on October 19

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — The Woodlands will celebrate its 40th anniversary as a community exactly 40 years to the day that it was founded by George Mitchell in 1974.

Residents are invited to take part in celebrating the wonderful hometown that The Woodlands has become with a special celebration that will take place on Sunday, October 19, 2014, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Northshore Park, 2505 Lake Woodlands Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77381. The event will showcase The Woodlands’ 40-year history with interactive timelines, Village Association representation, live music and activities for the whole family.

More importantly, the event will be used to proclaim October 19th as Founder’s Day, according to The Woodlands Township Chairman of the Board Bruce Coulson Tough.

“As we celebrate The Woodlands’ 40th birthday, we are truly grateful for this beautiful community and George Mitchell’s vision and tenacity in creating it,” Mr. Tough said. “But recognizing Founder’s Day, we hope Mr. Mitchell’s vision will forever live with The Woodlands.”

The event will also host a beautiful display of “How do you envision The Woodlands in the next 40 years?” from the Because Art Matters local student art competition. Finally, the event will conclude with a surprise finale and collaborative singing of Happy Birthday to The Woodlands.

The 40th anniversary celebration is presented by The Woodlands Township and The Woodlands Development Company. The student art competition is sponsored by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

“From its inception in 1974, The Woodlands was built as a ‘new town,’ using successful models of the nation’s then few large, master planned communities as a foundation. The Woodlands went beyond the live-work-play-learn fundamentals to add environmental preservation and social consciousness to the mix as evidenced by the forests that line major thoroughfares shielding homes and businesses. Throughout its 40-year history, The Woodlands remains a leader among master planned communities,” said Alex Sutton, Co-President, The Woodlands Development Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Howard Hughes Corporation®.

“The late George Mitchell, who founded The Woodlands, was always a visionary and formed the concept of ‘Developing in Harmony with Nature.’ Today, The Woodlands remains one of the best-selling, master-planned communities in Texas and in the nation. The Woodlands has achieved its goal of creating a hometown for residents. It has realized these successes by staying true to its original vision of environmental preservation, the creation of jobs and recreation, and people-centered development,” said Tim Welbes, Co-President, The Woodlands Development Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Howard Hughes Corporation®.

“The Woodlands started with a unique and inspired vision that manifests itself in an exceptional community for families and businesses alike,” said Bobby Reeves, EVP, General Counsel and CAO for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, “In sponsoring The Woodlands Township’s 40-year celebration school competition, we hope the next generation rises to the challenge in imagining their own unique and inspired vision of what our community could be in the year 2054.”

The student art competition will have two categories and provide over $7,000 in cash prizes and awards. The categories are Literary Arts for essays, creative writing or poetry of 250 words or less, and 2-D Visual Arts for painting, drawing or photography. The competition submission deadline is Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. Literary Arts entries can be submitted online. Visual Art entries can be dropped off at on-site school locations and at a drop-off event at The Woodlands Mall from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 11, 2014. Competition winners will be announced at The Woodlands 40th Anniversary Celebration.

For more information on The Woodlands 40th Anniversary Celebration, please call 281-210-3800, or visit the link provided below.