The Friends of Ingham County Parks received a donation of about $9,500 that will be used to improve the facilities at parks throughout the county.
The donation came from the Capital Region Community Foundation, a charity formed in 1987 that has been funding initiatives to benefit communities in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties.
The Friends of Ingham County Parks is a non profit organization whose volunteers help the Ingham County Parks Department in various projects.
The parks will use about $3,100 to purchase 16 new wheelchairs to be distributed among Lake Lansing, Hawk Island and Burchfield county parks, said Pat Witte, the Lake Lansing Park manager.
"These are the first set of wheelchairs in these parks that will be available for public use," Witte said, adding that they should be available by the end of June or in early July.
Nearly $3,300 of the donation will be used to purchase and install shade kites in Hawk Island Park.
"There are not a lot of tree canopies in Hawk Island," Witte said. "These shade kites, which almost look like large parachutes, will improve shade opportunities in the park."
More than $3,000 will be used to build a sidewalk near the southwest entrance of Lake Lansing Park South.
Construction of the 175-foot long, 5-foot wide sidewalk will begin in about two weeks and will be completed around mid-July, Witte said.
The sidewalk will improve accessibility for the elderly, who usually come to Lake Lansing Park South via buses in groups of 15-20 on Fridays, he said. The park holds live concerts every Friday night between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
"With all these improvements, we are targeting the convenience of the elderly and the children who visit the parks," Witte said. "These grants are wonderful. The Capital Region Community Foundation has been supporting us for many years, and we really appreciate their effort."
The foundation gives out approximately $2 million in grants every year.
"These grants are the income from a $55 million principal fund," said Brad Patterson, senior program officer of the foundation. "We never use the principal, so the fund continuously generates income to fund activities that benefit communities."
Patterson said the donation for the wheelchairs and sidewalk construction came from the Frank S. And Millie S. VanDervoort Fund, created to finance services for children with physical disabilities and the elderly. The shade kites were donated through the Patrons Fund, used for school playgrounds, college scholarships and churches.
