(Arnolds Park)– A major donation is in the offing to the “Sustain Our Park Campaign”.
Mike Zenor of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum Board of Directors announced Wednesday the Messengers of the Healing Winds Foundation is contributing 500-thousand dollars toward the campaign. In exchange, they’re requesting the Maritime Museum Board grant them a conservation easement on the green space. Zenor says the easement would cover most of the land, insuring that it stays as green space in the future. He says the land would still be owned by the Maritime Museum, and would still be used for outdoor concerts and similar venues as in the past.
The deal hinges on approval from the city of Arnolds Park and the state. The Arnolds Park city council was supposed to act on the matter Wednesday evening, but hadn’t heard back yet from the city’s bonding attorney.
On a related note, Sue Richter of the Sustain Our Park Committee announced they’ve raised slightly more than 1.47 million dollars toward the two million dollar goal to get the park out of debt. Richter added they’ve been able to bring the balance of the debt down to slightly more than a million dollars. She added a special fundraising campaign is being planned for the holiday season through a mass mailing. It will include a marketing of season passes, including a campaign known as “Summer of Smiles” through which you’ll be able to purchase passes and donate them back to the park, which will then issue them to less fortunate children.
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