Lillian Riley’s four children went to Webster School. But after it closed, the neighborhood lost more than a school; it lost a playground.

In the late 1980s, Riley set out to turn “gray to green” and launched a community effort that created Groundswell NW and many other reclamation projects.

On Nov. 17, she will be presented with a Lifetime Achievements Award for outstanding volunteer stewardship from the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department during its 2009 Denny Awards in a ceremony at the Northwest African-American Museum.

A former teacher and longtime member of the League of Woman Voters, Riley drew on that organization’s commitment to democratic process when she decided to do something about the asphalt at the former Webster School site.

She woke up one morning with the thought, “If this is going to succeed, I need to organize.”

She founded Groundswell NW in 1989; Webster Park opened in 1997. She readily admits that projects take lots of time, patience and perseverance, “But, not every effort is going to take so long.”

Although Riley cites the help of hundreds of volunteers over the years, she said she takes pride in the name she gave to the organization that continues to create and support green spaces – Groundswell NW – because she feels the name speaks to the grassroots activism that transformed a parking lot into a park.

She said she believes every child in Seattle should have access to a park without having to cross an arterial street.

Those who know Riley know her adage, “You start where you can start.”

As she looks back on the long journey to create Webster Park, she said officials must have thought, “Why won’t she just go away?”

She said sometimes you have to be willing to be heckled at meetings and be ready to hiss right back.

She never wanted Groundswell NW to be about one person or one project and so she said she is pleased at the variety of projects undertaken by subsequent presidents with the participation of new generations of families.

Groundswell NW has worked with Ballard Corners Park, Walkable Crown Hill and created the Salmon Bay Natural Habitat, among other projects.

David Boyd, a past president of Groundswell NW, said of Riley's forthcoming award, “I don’t know why we didn’t think to nominate her years ago.”

As Riley would say, “You start where you can start.”

The Denny Awards are named after David and Louisa Denny, who donated the land that became Denny Park. The Denny Awards were established by the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department in 2003.

The Denny Awards will be presented from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 17 at the Northwest African American Museum, located at 2300 S. Massachusetts St.