Charles City Parks and Rec launches Monopoly board fundraiser

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The Parks and Rec board discussed youth baseball and playground fundraising during its regular meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

At the meeting, Tad Barry updated the board on the youth baseball program.

Barry said that the baseball club is planning on hosting a series of tournaments this summer and is working on getting Lions Field and Sportsmen’s Park prepared with renovations and upgrades to the fields and facilities.

“We’re well ahead of schedule with this weather,” said Barry.

The baseball club is planning two weekend tournaments this summer, expecting to bring as many as 32 teams to Charles City to play. Along with making improvements to the fields and sprucing up concession stands, Barry said that a big priority will be expanding water access to the fields, particularly at Lions Field.

Parks and Rec Director Tyler Mitchell is collecting quotes for the cost of getting water out to the fields. From there the Parks and Rec Board will determine how it wants to split the costs with the baseball program.

In other business, the board received discouraging grant news, reporting that Wellmark would not be offering a grant that could go toward playground fundraising. Other grants are being explored and the board is in the midst of a fundraiser of its own.

The fundraising committee is seeking sponsors for a custom-made “Charles City-opoly” board fundraiser. The special “Monopoly” board fundraiser is open for businesses and individuals to claim a spot to represent on a limited printing of 500 boards.

The fundraiser officially began shortly after the meeting and more than half of the board has been claimed. Mitchell hopes to have all of the spaces sold by Spring Break so that the boards will be ready by the end of June.

If successful, the fundraiser could raise as much as $26,000 to go toward a playground for Sportsmen’s Park.