By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays Accessible Recreation Complex has raised more than $250,000 in the last two and a half months, but still has a long way to go to meet its $1.6 million fundraising goal.
The park project announced Monday it received a $15,000 grant from the Heartland Community Foundation.
The park complex will include an accessible playground, baseball field and splash pad. It will be open for all children to play side by side.
See related story: ARC rolls out plans for new accessible recreation complex
The group believes the $250,000 that has been raised is a good jump in two and half months, said Brent Kaiser, activities director for Arc of the Central Plains and volunteer on the fundraising campaign.
Except for the one grant, the money has been raised through private donations, sponsorships and pledges.
The park project has received a $100,000 matching donation from the Schmidt Foundation. The project has already received $72,280 of those funds, but will receive another $27,720 from that match.
Advocates for the park hope to have $600,000 raised by March so they can seek further grants, Kaiser said.
The park project had a citywide dine-out day on Dec. 11. The group has not yet received numbers from that fundraising effort.
“We think it will be a decent day for us,” Kaiser said.
Kaiser said the community has rallied around the project. The Hays Area Young Professionals donated more than $1,000 from proceeds from its adult prom and a gift from the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.
Members from the Fort Hays State University Leadership 310 class raised $1,500 through T-shirt sales, a Freddy’s dine-out night and a wheelchair basketball tournament.
“When we came up with the idea and talked about, I think we knew it is something that Hays really needs,” Kaiser said of the park complex. “I think we thought there was going to be some support, but I don’t know that we thought we were going to pick up steam as quick as we did. …
“Overall we have had a huge outpouring of support.”
The Rotary is partnering with Thirsty’s on an upcoming fundraising for the project. Details will be released on that event at a later date.