(Arnolds Park)– Historic Arnolds Park, Incorporated was recently present a check for $25,000 from the Okoboji Foundation. CEO Jeff Veirkant expressed their gratitude for the grant, which went toward an upgrade of the park’s midway area…
“Yeah, Steve, I mean we’re just so grateful to the Okoboji Foundation for the grant which helped us to update our midway for our games inside our amusement park. We were able to add in some additional games, replace some games and give a whole facelift to the entire area. So with all the other improvements going on around the park property it was wonderful to do that to the midway games as well.”
Mindy Gress, President of the Okoboji Foundation, says they were thrilled to make the grant possible…
“It was an exciting grant to be able to do. Arnolds Park is one of the places here at the lakes that really draws people in and, you know, people remember coming to Arnolds Park as kids and to see the midway refreshed and vibrant again just keeps providing that fun year after year for each generation. So, you know, it was just one of those gifts that we saw really as a benefit to the region and into the many visitors that we see, and local people as well.”
Gress says the main goal of their grant program is to assist nonprofit groups in the lakes area with their vital capital projects…
“Well our grant process happens every, starting in January is when our nonprofit organizations around the region can apply, and it’s a grant process that we engage a committee to review the different grants and we’re looking for areas that touch on, you know, really fields of interest that lie in like arts and culture and lake quality environment, outdoor experience and recreation projects, those projects that are going to keep the lakes region vibrant and clean and a place where people want to be.”
Gress says the Historic Arnolds Park, Incorporated project definitely fit that bill.
(Pictured in photo left to right: Mindy Gress, Okoboji Foundation President, Marshall Doesden, Operations Manager at Historic Arnolds Park, Ali Schmitz, Executive Assistant Okoboji Foundation, Jeff Veirkant, Historic Arnolds Park CEO.)
