A Park for Ball Club
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Grand Rapids Area Community FoundationAll donations are gratefully received. No donation is too small. Miigwech, thank you!
$10,860
raised by 80 people
$10,500 goal
Mikinaak Park Takes Shape
Boozhoo, Hello,
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has".
This quote by Margaret Mead rings true as we share the news that, with your support, the A Park for Ball Club campaign is fully funded! We can't thank you enough for being a part of making Mikinaak Park a reality.
September and into the first few days of October have been busy at the park. The pavilion and playground are done and the youth are working on the Chill Space. Using funds from Leech Lake Housing Authority, Doug Hanson from Hawk Construction lead a group of volunteers from the Grand Rapids Evangelical Free Church in building an awesome pavilion
Installing a playground is hard work! This image was taken right after a mountain of wood chips were installed by volunteers.
The youth designed a "Chill Space" including a fire ring, S'mores table being constructed by students at the Deer River High School and benches, being prepped here by Taylor, Teona and Arionna for the Ojibwe floral designs.A delay in the delivery of the basketball poles / hoops have thrown a challenge into their installation. We're working through this and one way or another, we are confident we will have the basketball court ready for play before the snow flies.
The Ball Club LIC, youth and Circle of Healing have looked forward to hosting a "Grand Opening" for Mikinaak Park for along time now. We envisioned a lot of people attending - community members, tribal dignitaries and all of the donors who want to celebrate with the youth.
The Ball Club Local Indian Council, youth and Circle of Healing have looked forward to hosting an opening celebration for the Park for a long time now. We envisioned a lot of people - community members, tribal dignitaries and all the donors who want to celebrate this accomplishment with the youth. COVID-19 prevents us from hosting such an event and as of yesterday we’ve decided to postpone the smaller community celebration we were planning for this Saturday. This postponement is disappointing, but the youth are very excited to host the "Grand Opening" at a future time when it is safe to do so.
Miigwech, Thank You! The Mikinaak Park Team continues to be grateful for your support.
Krissalyn, Taylor, Teona, Rianna, Arionna, Makoons, Kevin, Bella, Dinyce, Emma, Jasper, Zayne, Sondra, Andrea, Nashel, Amanda, Angela, Cookie, Natalie, Mariah, Robbie, Sarah, Ann, Carolyn, Deanna, Karen, Myrna, Joan, Lois, Paula, Noreen, Stacy, Jim and Becky
“Play is a great connector for adults and seniors and the children in their lives. In addition to the cognitive and physical benefits of play, it can also reduce stress in adults and is proven to help combat toxic stress in kids.” Sarah Pinksy, Director of Client Services, KaBOOM!
In April 2017, a group of young people in Ball Club began thinking about things that would be meaningful to them and be positive for their community. Their initial thoughts emerged in the form of a basketball court for their neighborhood, a place where they would feel safe while at play. Their thinking quickly expanded to create a community park where today three old pieces of playground equipment stand.
For their new park, the youth envision a playground that would take the shape of a turtle, mikinaak, and would honor their Ojibwe culture and language. They had witnessed the difficulties that one of their friends, Taylor, encounters in her wheelchair when she tries to interact with her peers in public spaces, especially playgrounds. It is their compassion for Taylor that drove their desire to ensure the new playground would be accessible and inclusive in its design for young and old alike.
The vision of the youth for this space is so much more than just a ‘park.’ They want to create a real sense of community. In addition to the culture-infused, accessible playground, they envision a basketball court, fire ring with seating (a ‘chill space’ as the youth refer to it) and a picnic area with accessible picnic tables.
Since April 2017, the youth have worked with community members, the Ball Club Local Indian Council, members of the Circle of Healing and Mobility Mania (two Itasca area groups), and eventually a project manager from Flagship Recreation, a local commercial playground company that specializes in inclusive play equipment. The youth have been diligent in their efforts to design a park that gives children and families with unique needs the opportunity to play and learn in a safe, accessible environment. They had to weigh costs as they picked out equipment and the playground surface materials and after several iterations, their design was finalized the spring of 2019.
Through this project, the youth see an opportunity to create something positive in their community - a multi-generational, culturally considerate, accessible park, where people of all ages can safely gather, share a meal and play. They want to create something lasting in their community, that people come to see and perhaps be inspired by to act on their own visions for positive change. In their own words, “This has a been an amazing opportunity for us and just the thought of this dream we created and making it a reality makes us happy and grateful beyond words.”
Total project cost is estimated just over $200,000 and could be less, depending upon in-kind donations. Fundraising is underway, with the goal of breaking ground on the playground, pavilion and basketball court in the spring of 2020. As of June 2020, $189,351 has been committed to the project.
View the Ball Club Youth Redesign Park on WDSE TV