(Arnolds Park)– The board of trustees of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum heard an update Friday on plans for a major fundraiser in the upcoming season to get the Arnolds Park Amusement Park out of debt once and for all.
Sue Richter of Milford served as a spokesperson for the committee. She told the board the effort will be known as “Sustain The Park”. Richter says their goal is to raise two million dollars. Any funds raised over that, she says, would be placed in an endowment that would be used at the board’s discretion.
Richter says they’re planning a campaign kick-off for this spring, and a number of events are being planned. She declined to elaborate on those for now, saying details will be released once plans are finalized. Richter says the committee feels the climate is right for a major fundraiser; that the time is right; and that the cause is right.
Jim Frost of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum told the board that if the “Sustain The Park” campaign is successful, it should be the last time once and for all any assistance from the public should be needed to keep the park open.
Members of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum say eliminating the park’s 1.7 million dollar debt is a top priority for the upcoming year, saying it’s vital to ensure the park’s long-term future.
