PARK FEATURES

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Two Ball Fields • Two Volleyball Courts Basketball Court with Six Goals • Tennis Court Walking/Rollerblading Trails • Horseshoe Pits Picnic Pavilion & BBQ Grills • Natural Area Covered Ice Rink • Children's Playground Area and Restrooms

FUNDING LES CHENEAUX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (YAC) CHALLENGE GRANT In early summer 2006, the Les Cheneaux Community Foundation and their Youth Advisory Committee awarded the Clark Township Recreation Committee a $5,000 grant. Additionally, the Foundation awarded a “Challenge Grant”. If the Committee can raise $3,150, they will match that 2:1 up to another $6,300 in grant funds!

LION'S CLUB PARTNERSHIP
The Lion's Club has stepped forward to be a significant partner in the Recreation Park Project by budgeting funds to help the committee complete the Ball Fields. They have already provided a rock-picking machine and purchased bleachers. Several Club members show up for the "work bees"; Mr. Gene Collins serves as their representative and regularly attends committee planning meetings.

MORE ON THE LES CHENEAUX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
CHALLENGE GRANT
In early summer 2006, the Foundation awarded the Clark Township Recreation Committee a "Challenge Grant." If the Committee could raise $3,150, the Foundation would match that 2:1 up to another $6,300 in grant funds. The match was raised! Total monies brought in by the challenge were $9,450.

Again, in 2007, another challenge was made by the Foundation. An anonymous donor offered the Recreation Committee another challenge through the Community Foundation: they would match 1:1 up to $10,000, at which time the committee would have doubled the money they raised. To date the committee has raised $8,500 which would qualify for a matching $8,500, totaling $17,000. The committee has until the end of 2007 to raise the remaining $1,500 to earn the whole $20,000.

MACKINAC COUNTY $10,000 GRANT
Activities scheduled for summer 2007 took a new direction with the unexpected $10,000 award by Mackinac County Commissioners for the Recreation Park project. The construction of two ball fields were moved ahead until next spring to take advantage of the new funds to have a well put in and install a complete irrigation system throughout the park. It was thought that we would not be able to afford this item until some time in the future, but Mackinac County made it possible to start the project off right, while the soil was still bare. The timing gave us a practical advantage, given that the turf would not need to be disturbed once it was going strong. The new well also positions the committee to plan for restrooms and drinking fountains in the not-so-distant future.

TRIBAL 2% FUNDING
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has been very supportive of the Recreation Park Project, contributing 2% funds of $5,000 each year for several years. These funds, along with a substantial donation of gravel by Frank Taylor, made the project kick-off and excavation phase possible.

COMMUNITY RECREATION PLAN UPDATE
A small sub-group of various Township committees and other community groups is working to revise the Clark Township Recreation Plan.

Besides its obvious use as a planning and implementation tool, this plan needs to be updated every five years in order for projects to be eligible to apply for certain grants. The group members are Michelle Walk of Mackinac County MSU Extension, Linda Sherlund of the Clark Township Recreation Committee, Michael Miller of the Clark Township Planning Commission, and Ronda McGreevy of the Clark Township Bike Path Committee and the Les Cheneaux Community School Board. Group members will seek input from other organizations interested in recreation such as the Snowmobile Club and the Cross-country Ski Club, etc. The plan will encompass all forms of recreation and promote coordination of efforts within the township.

The process will involve a public hearing to take input from the community. The plan update should be completed by early winter 2008.