Multi-use courts fundraiser reaches and exceeds $300,000 goal

A rendering of what the Zorra multi-use courts could look like, though much more work needs to be done before the project is locked in. The project just hit a major milestone, raising over $300,000 in funding. (Contributed Photo)

Connor Luczka, Echo Correspondent

Four years ago, when fundraising began for a new multi-use court space in Thamesford, the then $266,000 goal seemed astronomical. When the goal rose to $300,000 due to rising construction costs, it seemed all the more daunting.

However, thanks to the generosity of the community, the goal was not only met but exceeded.

On Jan. 14, the committee overlooking the fundraising and construction of the courts announced that $305,872.92 was raised.

“It was really rewarding to see how many people were interested in the project and in making it happen,” Kate Lockhart, a member of the organizing committee, told the Echo. “We all know the economy right now is challenging for everybody, so every little bit was wonderful to see. If it's $5 or if it's $500, it doesn't matter. Because every little bit helps.”

Seventy per cent of the project funds were raised by the community. Much of the donations that came in were from smaller community fundraisers organized by volunteers – from bake sales to Christmas markets to Smile Cookies at the local Tim Hortons – netting incremental donations bit by bit.

Some other bigger donations also came from community organizations. Zorra Township committed $79,950 or 30 per cent of the project’s goal, and the Thamesford Lions Club put up $50,000.

Lockhart shared that an anonymous family in the community donated over $100,000, the vast majority of the $175,922 raised by the wider community in Zorra and taking them close to the project’s goal.

The project started five years ago when resident Andrew Goodwin delegated to council and asked about a racket sport courts project. A year after that, under advisement from staff and a new Recreation, Arts and Culture Master Plan, a committee was struck to investigate a multi-use court, a court that can accommodate racket sports like tennis or pickleball and also basketball and road hockey.

The 70-30 split in funding was deliberate. According to Coun. Katie Grigg, many great ideas come to council through the community, but the township cannot undertake them all and still be fiscally responsible for its taxbase. The reasoning behind the 70-30 split is to have a community-council partnership wherein the community is in the driver’s seat.

“Because of that level of community involvement, buy-in, it also then gave a real sense of pride and ownership to those finished products for the people who supported it along the way,” Grigg, who also serves on the courts committee, said. “Both the community members that were volunteers on the committee as well as everyone who wrote a check, big or small, bought a cookie at the bake sale, went to the fundraiser dinner, or whatever it was.”

As previously mentioned, the original goal was $266,000, but over the last four years of fundraising the world – and the cost of living –changed drastically. As they got closer to the finish line, township staff re-examined the project and recommended raising the goal so that no matter how much the project comes in as it wouldn’t be in jeopardy of losing components due to finances.

“We had wins and setbacks,” Grigg said. “That was devastating at the moment. It also was a gift because it let us, in our frustration, take a deep breath and say okay, so if we keep going, then we know there will be no corners cut on this project in terms of what we want it to be.”

Grigg stated that if the stars align perfectly the project could see shovels in the ground starting this summer; however, there is much more work to be done and some developments since plans were initially theorized.

Next steps are to tender the project through council in the coming months and hear from contractors.

There will also be further consideration of the location. Originally the project was slated to be built behind the Thamesford District Recreation Centre but there may be a potential location within the upcoming Kingwood development that should be explored.

“We're actually talking now about how we're going to position the courts and how we want them to look and what accessibility do we need,” Lockhart said. “So, the conversation is getting a lot more fun and now we're seeing things come to life.”