Community First pledges $100,000 to Waupaca’s Swan Park

A leadership gift commitment from Community First Credit Union will help replace an aging playground at Swan Park with a modern, inclusive and accessible play area and splash pad.

The $1.4 million project will reinvigorate one of the city’s busiest parks while enhancing Waupaca’s reputation as a great place to live and visit, according to Andrew Whitman, Waupaca Parks and Recreation Director.

“Portions of the playground have been removed due to safety concerns and issues,” Whitman said. “This started the conversation about replacing the playground with an opportunity to make this a special place for the Waupaca community.”

Community First has pledged $100,000 to the project, providing a major boost to efforts by the city and the Friends of Waupaca Parks to raise half the project cost (about $700,000) through donations and grants.

The plan is to break ground next spring on the state-of-the-art splash pad, new ADA-compliant play structures, poured-in-place rubber surfaces and new restroom facilities.

The Friends of Waupaca Parks group recently started pursuing donations from businesses and individuals.

The city has included $700,000 in its capital improvement budget and it hopes to hear back this fall on a state grant application that could cover a sizeable portion of the $700,000 fundraising goal.

“The commitment from Community First Credit Union is an incredible display of generosity and a contribution that gets us one step closer to a project that will positively impact families in the city for decades to come,” said City Administrator Aaron Jenson.

“The new playground and splash pad will be an awesome upgrade to an already premier park in Waupaca,” said Adam Ross, Friends of Waupaca Parks vice president and fundraising committee chair. “We need community involvement such as Community First Credit Union and others to make this project a reality. Every little bit helps.”

To learn more or make an online tax-deductible donation to the Friends of Waupaca Parks go to www.friendsofwaupacaparks.com.