Splashpad groundbreaking expected sooner rather than later

Coming off the heels of several high-profile donations, Kiwanis Club leaders are hoping to soon break ground on the Hodag Park splashpad — one part of the $1.6 million Hodag Park improvement project, which also includes a playground.

The Kiwanis Club now has over $900,000 committed to the total project, according to club member Brandon Karaba, despite there being no primary donor. Instead, the project is funded by a variety of local businesses and individuals.

“This kind of community support just shows how, even though we’re a small town, there’s a lot of great companies and individuals,” Karaba said in April.

Commercial Recreational Special­ists in Verona will be the contractor for the splashpad, while Lee Recreation in Cambridge will manage the 13,000 square-foot playground component of the project, which is still seeking funding.

Karaba told The River News the club is hoping to break ground on the 3,000 square-foot splashpad in the coming month or so, as an initial downpayment was recently made on the splashpad equipment.

“Starting phase 1 of the Hodag Park Project was very important to our donors and we feel the same way,” Karaba said. “This is a project we are committed to and are very excited about seeing it through. That is why we are continuing to fundraise money and reach out to donors for this amazing project to be fully funded.”

Karaba said the project should be done this summer, possibly as early as some time in July.

“It’s always better to be cautious and if it is indeed done early then that is just icing on the cake,” he said.

In the meantime, the club is still seeking donations to close the gap on the rest of the project and fully fund the 13,000 square-foot playground.

“Our summer raffle is going on right now and if anyone wants tickets please reach out to myself or any other Kiwanis members,” Karaba said.

The sooner those goals are met, the sooner the community’s kids can enjoy the new and improved Hodag Park facilities.

Michael Strasburg may be reached at [email protected].