A project to build a bouldering park in Kalispell received another boost this month when the Daybreak Rotary Club offered to put up a $20,000 matching grant.
The nonprofit Kalispell Boulder Project is spearheaded by a group of Flathead Valley climbers and outdoor enthusiasts who have been raising money to fund the project in hopes of having the boulders installed by late summer 2016.
The group has been mounting community support through a series of fundraising events in the Flathead Valley, but the Rotary’s contribution is the largest to date.
Through the Kalispell Community Foundation, the Kalispell Boulder Project has established a fund while garnering support from the Kalispell Parks and Recreation Department, which will provide the space for the bouldering features at the southern end of Lawrence Park in Kalispell. After the boulders are installed, the city of Kalispell will assume responsibility for the park.
The goal is to raise $100,000 for the manufacturing and installation of the concrete boulders, and Jandy Cox, manager at Rocky Mountain Outfitter in Kalispell, said the fundraising efforts have been met by strong community support, with $20,000 raised so far.
“The main thing with this is we will be two-thirds of the way done and that puts the reality of this project in a whole new light,” Cox said. “With every dollar being doubled it is a real motivator for people if they haven’t supported it and want to. I am convinced that by this time next year we will be climbing.”
Daybreak Rotary President Sandy Carlson said the club decided to make the bouldering park a priority because it will beautify Lawrence Park, which is where the club began its history of community projects more than 20 years ago, when it funded construction of the park’s pavilion.
“When our members saw the opportunity to help the park again, we jumped on the opportunity,” Carlson said.
The club is using money from a donation left by a former member, and will double any contributions by members of the public between now and the end of the year, up to $20,000.
“We hope this will encourage other clubs and members of the public to donate and organize fundraising parties and activities,” she said.
Bouldering is a form of climbing that is performed without the use of ropes or harnesses. It can be done without any equipment, but many climbers use special climbing shoes to help secure footholds.
Donations to the Flathead Community Foundation, the nonprofit community fundraising arm, can be made at KalispellBoulderProject.com.