(Spirit Lake)– A fundraising effort to restore the historic shelter house at Mini Wakan State Park on the north shore of Big Spirit Lake is now 100-thousand dollars closer to its goal.
Joe Ulman of the Spirit Lake Protective Association tells KUOO news they’ve been awarded the grant through the state’s Historic Site Preservation Grant program.
The local project was one of 12 to be awarded grants through the program.
Ulman says that brings the total raised so far to about 250-thousand dollars. The goal is one million dollars. Ulman says that includes funds for an endowment that would be used for future maintenance of both the Mini-Wakan and Gull Point State Park shelter houses.
Ulman adds they’re hoping to get some help from the state legislature. He says bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate by State Representative Mike May and Senator David Johnson that if passed, “would allow us to move this forward”.
In the meantime, fundraising efforts continue. Ulman says area artists are creating pieces of original art that will be used in future fundraisers, along with some outdoor activities that will be held later in the upcoming spring and summer. Ulman says more information on those will be forthcoming on the Spirit Lake Protective Association’s website at www.theslpa.org. Click on “Mini-Wakan project”.
