Family Endowments Sustaining the Trail and Arboretum Forever
The Platteville Community Arboretum Board is pleased to announce its new PCA Family Endowment Initiative. Bob Hundhausen, PCA President noted, “This initiative is designed to grow the endowments (forever funds) supporting our trails and arboretum.”
In responding to this initiative, five (5) families have each donated $10,000 to create endowments. Prior to this addition of $50,000 in ‘forever funds,’ PCA had accumulated $180,000 in endowment funding, toward their goal of $625,000.
Among those responding to this new initiative, Gene and Jan Weber said, “We are setting up a PCA Family Endowment in sincere appreciation for all the wonderful volunteers and donors who helped pave and light the trail along with those who maintain and enhance our community trail and arboretum. We are honored to establish our endowment to help sustain it forever.”
Similarly, Bill and Jean Sanders noted, “We are establishing a family endowment that benefits PCA as a way of giving back to the community where we have lived in since 1964. Our grandchildren, along with us, have enjoyed biking and hiking on the trail while being surrounded by native plants and trees. We appreciate the work of PCA to develop and maintain an area with trails that promotes a healthy lifestyle.”
“With my donation, I am seeking to ensure that the PCA organization will continue to be a vital part of the Platteville community and that there will be resources available for trail improvement and future trail development.” In his further comments Spider Fromader encouraged everyone to get out and enjoy the trail and its beauty.
Dick Weber noted, “My late wife, Ellie, and I have been long time enthusiasts of the Platteville Trail System. Ellie took great pride in seeing significant use of the trail as her health faded in her last five years. She could view the end of the Knollwood part of the trail from her recliner and seeing people using the trail brought her great joy during her health struggles. I was fortunate to be born to parents who loved the land, worked hard to protect it, and imbued me with a love of the flowers, other plant life, birds and animals that abounded on their Vernon County farm,” Weber continued. “Sunday afternoon usually found me with a pair of binoculars roaming the acres of hardwood forest on our farm in search of the wonders of nature. The Platteville trail system is bordered with a great deal of land with the potential for helping preserve the plants and animals of time gone by and the efforts of the PCA volunteers are making productive strides in that direction. The prime motivation for contributing to the PCA endowment fund is to help ensure that the financial means to support PCA programs continue long after I can individually support them,” Weber said.
The family endowment initiative also provides an opportunity for families to ‘expand’ aspects of the trail. Cindy Tang has done just that, noting, “I am establishing an endowment to support art on the Platteville trails to encourage public engagement. Art can stimulate the mind and senses, allow for meditation, or say a lot about our community’s history.”
You may find that you, too, appreciate the many benefits of the trail, whether that is mental and physical health, social well-being, or economic development/tourism. Our community truly benefits from the efforts of our nearly 100 volunteers as well as our annual and endowment donors. For those who are at the stage of life when resources may be available (think RMD/QCD from an IRA) to establish a named family endowment ($10,000 minimum, over a 3 to 5 year period) that benefits our arboretum and trails, please contact plattevillearboretum@gmail.com.
Donors will be recognized in local newspapers and via social media. Additionally, there will be permanent trailside “Family Endowment” recognition. And as an added incentive, 2022 and 2023 family endowment donors will enjoy $2,500 in trail-side honorarium/memorial naming rights.
Comments