Visitors will notice real progress on the newly paved two-mile trail inside Wannigan Regional Park. New solar lights are now in place, which was funded through remaining dollars from the trail grant.

Ten feet on both sides of the trail have been seeded with a mix of native pollinators and grasses to enrich the corridor and support long-term habitat health.

The capital campaign is also nearly completed with park leaders having raised $3.65 million, just $312,000 shy of the original goal of $3,963,000.

When people invested in Wannigan Regional Park, theybelieved in something bigger than a playground or a kayak launch. They believed in a place where families could reconnect with nature, where kids could climb and explore, where the quiet beauty of the region could welcome 30,000+ visitors a year with dignity and care.

That vision is 92 percent funded. Organizers are standing on the doorstep of completion.

But here’s what every capital campaign veteran knows: the final eight percent is where projects live or die. It’s the difference between finishing strong and falling short.

This isn’t abstract anymore. The natural playground is designed. The kayak launch is engineered. The overlooks, camping sites, accessible restrooms, and gathering shelter are nearly ready to bid. Contractors are watching. Families are asking. The community is waiting.

With this goal, here is what will be completed:  

• Children will spend summer days climbing, balancing, and discovering nature

• Kayakers will launch safely, and accessibly, into waters they love

• Families will have clean, accessible restrooms when they visit.

• The 30,000+ annual visitors will see a park that matches the natural beauty they came to experience. Every person reading this has already said “yes” to Wannigan. You’ve invested your dollars, your time, your belief. You’ve told friends. You’ve envisioned your grandchildren playing there. You’ve already won 92 percent — organizers are so close.

Now park representatives are asking the public to finish. The momentum is ours to lose.

At 92 percent, organizers have the credibility, the community support, and the competitive grants watching to see if we can close. Funders invest in finishers. The final $312,000 will likely attract matching funds, challenge grants, and institutional support that only backs winners.

But only if the public moves now.

Organizers only have 12 months to go. Bidding timelines won’t wait. Construction seasons don’t pause.

The next move matters:

• Double an original gift and be a closer

• Rally five friends to join you in a final push

• Make the largest gift yet because you can see the finish line

• Give monthly through 2026 to create sustainable momentum

This is the moment campaigns are won.

Not in the easy 50 percent. Not in the exciting launch. In the final eight percent when committed believers decide that finishing matters more than fatigue. When vision overcomes hesitation. When a community says: “We started this together, and we will finish it together.”

Wannigan Regional Park at 100 percent is a gift to every family who will picnic there. Every child who will discover confidence on that playground. Every visitor who will pause at an overlook and remember why they love this place.

The community has built 92 percent of that legacy. Let’s finish the job.

Please donate by the end of 2025.

See more below or visit our donor webpage at: Frazee Community Development Fund www.wcif.org/fund/fcd/