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Florissant Park Foundation Donates $10,000 to City
By Carol Arnett
The Florissant Park Foundation presented the city of Florissant with a check for $10,000 for improvements to the Sunset Park Nature Lodge. Mayor Tom Schneider accepted the check from Foundation Member Don Zykan.
Zykan gave a short history of the foundation. He said former mayor Bob Lowery asked several people to form the foundation with the purpose of raising money for Florissant parks. Their original goal was to raise enough funds to build the nature lodge at Sunset Park.
The foundation is not legally connected to the city in any way. It is a separate fundraising foundation.
Zykan began by giving Schneider a list of items that the foundation feels would enhance the nature lodge. These include kitchen equipment such as refrigerators, a microwave and a commercial coffee pot.
The foundation also suggested more educational materials, such as white boards, easels, and flipcharts. The foundation also suggested some outdoor items, such as a bicycle rack, two more benches, three picnic tables, Adirondack chairs
These items were suggested by visitors and foundation members, Zykan said. He said that having a bike rack would be nice, since the trail from Old Town Florissant up Humes Lane led to the park. The chairs and benches would allow people to sit and enjoy the outside patio. “It’s a beautiful view of the river,” Zykan said.
Zykan said that the foundation had reviewed the costs, and the $10,000 should pay for the items suggested.
Schneider said he was happy to accept the check. “We lowered the rental rates on the lodge, and it’s getting more use,” he said. He added that he would like even more people to use it, and he thought the improvements suggested would make it more desirable. He thanked the foundation for their work.
