Mike McGurk and Jamie Breme know first-hand how quickly Fairfax County has grown over the years. They both grew up here and are graduates of Fairfax County Public Schools. Now, as employees of two companies involved in the I-495 Express Lanes project, they get personal satisfaction in knowing their employers are giving back to their community through the I-495 Express Lanes Grant Program.

“In our corporate culture, we like to look for ways we can be good neighbors,” said Breme, whose company, Fluor-Lane, designed and built the I-495 Express Lanes project. “Parks offer so many opportunities through nature, classes and other recreational activities for all ages, and it’s very exciting to be able to support those opportunities.”

Since 2009, the grant program has provided generous contributions to nearly two dozen park programs and projects through the Fairfax County Park Foundation. They include the Summer Entertainment Series, trail and stream restoration initiatives, environmental education programs, family fitness events and recreational activities and camps.

“Parks are so important to the quality of life we enjoy in Fairfax County,” said McGurk, whose company Transurban will operate the I-495 Express Lanes for the next 70 years. “Supporting parks through our grant program is one way we can show our long-term commitment to residents who live near the I-495 Express Lanes corridor.”