(ROTARIANS TOUR AHRENS PARK, EARLY LEARNING CENTER)
GRINNELL, IA (March 23) - Chad Nath, president and CEO of the Ahrens Park Foundation, took fellow Rotarians on a tour of the Ahrens Park and the Grinnell Community Early Learning Center during the Club’s meeting held Tues., Mar. 22.
Nath said that the Ahrens/Paschall Memorial Park is named after Claude and Dolly’s son, the late Paul W. Ahrens, who passed away in 1989 at the age of 50, and a friend of Paul’s, Jim Paschall, who also passed away at a fairly young age. After 50 acres of land was acquired in 1993, the first building to be built at the site was the Ahrens Family Center that houses the Grinnell Community Early Learning Center.
In time Claude’s vision of a recreational park was realized. Today, Ahrens/Paschall Memorial Park has eight youth sports fields, soccer fields, outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, a golf driving range, playground areas, a walking path, Giving Gardens, green spaces, and picnic shelters.
The idea started the sports complex trend in Iowa, according to Nath.
Today the facilities are 28 years old. Thus, the Ahrens Park Foundation has been focused on updating the facilities. “All of these cost money,” says Nath. For example, he said that “replacing the lights on the sports fields will cost more than what individuals would think.”
He cited that Ahrens Park Foundation, which funds the Ahrens Park, is self-funded by interest on its endowment, grants, and fees paid for rental and services.
Nath is heavily involved in grant-writing. For example, he cited that he had just submitted a grant to improve the park’s edible landscape, Giving Gardens, and native plantings by providing appropriate access surfaces.
The Grinnell Community Early Learning Center rents space from Ahrens Park Foundation. The Center currently enrolls 117 children between the ages of six weeks and 10 years.
The Grinnell Rotary Club is a donor to the Center, having given numerous cribs eight years ago. Most recently, a Rotary community service grant replenished much needed supplies that included eight cot carriers, 72 cot sheets, 100 name clips, and four tricycles. In addition to the Grinnell Rotary Club, the grant was also funded by Rotary District 6000 and The Rotary Foundation.
The Grinnell Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at West Side Family Restaurant.
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Photo 1 – Chad Nath (left) gives Rotarians an overview of the Ahrens Park.
Photo 2 – Rotarians Gary Larsson (left) and Doug Cameron (right) look over cribs and cot carriers that have been donated by the Rotary Club.
Photo 3 – Rotarian Bruce Blankenfeld inspects one of the four tricycles recently donated by the Grinnell Rotary Club to the Grinnell Community Early Learning Center.