(Arnolds Park)– The board of directors of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum Friday heard an update on the fundraising efforts of the “Sustain Our Park” campaign. Julie Fillenwarth, a co-chair of the “Sustain Our Park” committee, says they’re very pleased with how things have been going so far. She reported that as of Thursday, 335,763 in donations had been raised, along with 160,491-dollars in pledges and 1,525-dollars worth of in-kind donations, for a total of 497,779-dollars. That does not include the 500-thousand dollars that’s been donated by retired businessman Ed Parsons.
The committee’s goal is to raise one and-a-half million dollars to erase the park’s debt and to raise an additional half million to put toward a reserve fund; with the remainder that’s raised going into a capital improvement fund.
The board was also informed of a “Sustain Our Park” golf tournament planned for August 28th at Brook’s Golf Club.
Also Friday, the Maritime Museum Board approved a proposal allowing Midwest Wireless to construct a 120-foot tall cell phone tower behind the park’s maintenance shed in return for six thousand dollars a year in lease payments.
Fred Dowden, Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, reported they’re confident the park will findiah with a better bottom line than last year. Current projections have the park ending the season in the black to the tune of 110-thousand dollars. That’s despite the fact one of the park’s major attractions, the water flume, has been broken down since July 7th. A motor on a pump failed and Rick Johnson, Chairman of Amusement Park Operations, says they’re having a difficult time finding a replacement. He says attempts are being made to retrofit it.
Dowden added 140-thousand dollars remains to be paid on the park’s 500-thousand dollar operating loan, which he said will be paid off by the end of the year.
