Arlin Falck Foundation awards $15,000 to Trails From Freeport

Freeport Park will soon have a new shelter, thanks to the Arlin Falck Foundation.

The foundation, headquartered in Caledonia, has awarded the Freeport Park Renovation project $15,000 to support construction of a new shelter for Freeport Park.

The project is being spearheaded by the Winneshiek County Conservation Board and the Trails from Freeport organization, which has been working on an extension of the Trout Run Trail to Freeport and envisions Freeport Park as a trailhead for the planned extension.

Winneshiek County Conservation Board plans to relocate Freeport Park's current shelter, constructed almost 25 years ago, to Moe Park.  The Conservation Board will pay for eight picnic tables for Freeport Park.  TFF and WCCB will continue to seek additional funds for the Freeport Park shelter, as well as funding for new playground equipment and enhanced landscaping for the park.
 
TFF board member Heidi Rockweiler said, "This park is located in the heart of Freeport, and, by improving it, we hope to not only serve trail users but also encourage community and family gatherings as well as youth activities."

The Arlin Falck Foundation annually provides grants for community development, promotion, and education in Fillmore and Houston counties in Minnesota and Allamakee and Winneshiek counties in Iowa. 

The grant from the Falck Foundation follows two recent grants secured for the TFF project—a $1.6-million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant and a $100,000 Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant. TFF also has raised more than $200,000 to date from private sources.