Organizers encouraging Frazee grads to contribute

By Robert Williams

Editor

By Robert Williams

Editor

Wannigan Regional Park will be adding key amenities this year that will build onto the already busy traffic flowing down North River Drive to see the “Jacob Everear,” Thomas Dambo’s Troll art installation.  ¶  According to Dambo, Jacob Everear wants us to remember, cherish and tell stories of the ones we love.  ¶  That message is being seen by thousands per month and what is most surprising about a visit to the park is that locals and Minnesota residents are outnumbered by visitors from out-of-state. The parking lot is a collection of license plates from around the country and during two mid-week 30-minute visits last week, Wannigan Capital Investment Committee member Roxann Daggett stopped to chat with visitors from Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Washington and New York, to name a few.

It is amazing; the people that had the vision to create Wannigan Park,” said Daggett. “I just credit those people and they’ve kept on even when people would get tired of this. And then Project 412, to get that troll. That’s the part that has kept me and many people inspired. Karen Pifher, the grants that she has written and the people that have given; I think we’re close to 3 million in grants. What it’s doing for Frazee is incredible.”

In a similar vein, the Investment Committee came up with a plan to include former graduates from around the country in becoming part of the park, as well. They created a fundraising contest, “The Wannigan Park Class Challenge,” between the graduation classes that will come to an end during Turkey Days.

“There are people all over the United States that graduated from Frazee; there are so many that don’t know what’s happening here: the new beach house, the new football field and of course Wannigan,” said Daggett. “We need to get this information out and in that, we should use this as a tool to raise money for Wannigan Park. Any person that gives money to Wannigan Park, whether it’s $10 or whatever, they have an investment in something that is wonderful here.”

Daggett tested out the idea on some of her classmates from 1965 last October. After fine tuning with a few other former graduates, the quest turned to finding a contact person from each graduating class from 1948-2020. 

“It’s been a long time coming,” Daggett said. “Right now, I only have three classes left that I don’t have an email for.”

Daggett was chasing down person after person over weeks to try to complete the list, a task that many would dread.

“It was so much fun,” she said.

The committee has been sending the contact person of each class a specific class letter to be distributed within that graduating class with instructions for donations in some form of their graduating year. For instance, the Class of 1965 could send $65 or $165, $1,065, etc. 

“She’s just challenging us and this alumni outreach is really huge because so many of our alumni want to feel in on things,” said Frazee Community Development Corporation (FCDC) member Polly Andersen.

Another major point Andersen made was the need for matching local funds like these, whether from people who live right in Frazee or across the nation.

“Roxann Daggett and Anna Potvin are driving an outreach for alumni participation and awareness for the community matching dollars that we really need to show on our application for grants,” said  Andersen at the Frazee City Council meeting Wednesday, June 11.

Daggett loves reporting on donations received from all the classes. She recently received one from Pat Pfeifer of the Class of 1951, who lives in Kennewick, Washington.

“I have a warm spot in my heart for Frazee,” Pfeifer told Daggett. “I love to return to Frazee and visit my family and friends and was impressed with the recent developments at Wannigan Park.”

Pat, 91, visited Frazee with family last summer. She also described her upbringing here in detail and her appreciation for the area in a Forum feature story with Lori Fischer Thorp in January of 2024.

Daggett also keeps a weekly list of which class leads the Wannigan Park Class Challenge.

At the end of June, the Class of 1978 was in the lead,

• 1 Class of 1978 $5,000

• 2 Class of 1965 $1,225

• 3 Class of 1962 $1,044

• 4 Class of 1963 $1,000

• 4 Class of 1964 $1,000

• 6 Class of 1958 $758

A donation form is included in this story. Donors are reminded to make sure they complete the form with their graduating class. Larger donations can be spread out over years or split in easy monthly or annual payments.

“The thing that is exciting about this is the people I talk to, they say, ‘I’m so excited for our grandkids to come and see the trolls,’ and that is exciting,” said Daggett. “But the next thing that’s exciting is to say to them, next year, bring your kayak, bring your fishing pole and we’re going to have a picnic under the picnic shelter…and the trials. Those three things will be done.”

Daggett is emphatic in encouraging all former Frazee graduates to become part of the legacy that will be the completed form of Wannigan Park, which is currently still in Phase I of construction. The troll has just sped up the number of visitors.

“Many of them come back from the class reunions and this encourages them,” Daggett said. “The other thing is there are people that haven’t been back since they graduated, I want for them to realize great things are happening in Frazee and part of this friendly challenge is the fun of seeing which classes are ahead, behind, and also for them to be part of the legacy of Wannigan Park. Even if they give $20, they’re part of this legacy.”

There is a six-week push on as the challenge ends during Turkey Days.

“There will be a big party to celebrate what we’ve done for Wannigan Park,” said Daggett.

The construction of the multi-use paved trail, stretching nearly two miles throughout Wannigan Park, will be completed this year. Also scheduled for the coming year are the picnic shelter and kayak launch. 

“It’s kind of a miracle that we’re going to have asphalt trails this year,” said Andersen. “It really is. That just goes to show you that there is region-wide support for Wannigan and what we’re trying to do here. That money for the kayak launch is going to open the river to people and we’re working with the Department of Natural Resources for a platform that will allow for launching a kayak as opposed to just stepping in the water.”

The Heartland Trail extension from the County Road 10 bridge to Highway 87 is currently under construction, which will be one of three veins that will make Wannigan Park a trailhead of the Otter Tail River State Water Trail, the Heartland Trail and the North Country Scenic Trail. A fourth connection will come from Vergas in the future when the Heart of the Lakes Trail brings the sister cities together.annigan Regional Park will be adding key amenities this year that will build onto the already busy traffic flowing down North River Drive to see the “Jacob Everear,” Thomas Dambo’s Troll art installation.  ¶  According to Dambo, Jacob Everear wants us to remember, cherish and tell stories of the ones we love.  ¶  That message is being seen by thousands per month and what is most surprising about a visit to the park is that locals and Minnesota residents are outnumbered by visitors from out-of-state. The parking lot is a collection of license plates from around the country and during two mid-week 30-minute visits last week, Wannigan Capital Investment Committee member Roxann Daggett stopped to chat with visitors from Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Washington and New York, to name a few.