A bird’s eye view rendering of the new Kephart Park planned in Bargersville. The town’s parks department is holding an online fundraiser for elements such as a park sign, picnic tables, grills, a walking trail and landscaping features.
Rendering provided by town of BargersvilleWith Kephart Park set to open in Bargersville in early June, town officials have started a crowdfunding effort to help fund a wooded walking trail and picnic tables, among other features.
The amenities targeted in the fundraiser also include grills, a sign for the park and landscaping. Those elements will all be included in the park when it opens regardless of how well the crowdfunding effort goes. With enough donations, however, the Bargersville Parks Department will be able to save money it would’ve spent on those features and put it toward future programs, said Kris Wilson, parks director.
“Any of the donations will help with the operations of the parks department and the little things that go into operating a park or facility,” Wilson said. “If that money is freed up, we can purchase equipment. If we were to have a pickleball clinic, we could have a couple of paddles for people to borrow. I posted about having a family game night, and that could get things started.”
A fundraiser for the park has raised more than $13,000 of its $50,000 goal since the fundraiser went live April 7 on Patronicity, a crowdfunding website. The fundraiser closes May 22, but if the town is able to reach its $50,000 goal by that time, it will be matched by a $50,000 grant from the Indiana Housing and Development Authority, or IHCDA. Even if the fundraiser doesn’t exceed the goal, the parks department will be able to keep the money it raised, Wilson said.
Money from other sources, such as sponsorship of park benches, also count toward the fundraiser, she said.
When it opens, the $3.5 million, six-acre park northeast of County Road 144 and Saddle Club Road will feature a splash pad, pickleball courts, restrooms, an area for grilling, a trail and playground equipment. As part of a fiber internet expansion with Metronet and Johnson County Fiber, Kephart Park will be the first in Bargersville with WiFi.
Officials broke ground on the park in June the park had been in the works for several years. Bargersville officials bought the land for the park in Aug. 2015 for $124,195, and decided to name the park after the family who owned the property. Plans didn’t progress beyond that point, however, until late 2020, with funding decided in 2021 and 2022.
That funding came from park impact fees and the town’s $1.8 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act, part of a $1.9 trillion federal COVID-19 stimulus package.
When the park opens, it will be a gathering place for residents for years to come, Wilson said.
“I think it’s something residents have definitely been anticipating,” she said. “We’re excited to have this place as a community park, a meeting place, somewhere for people to relax, meet and socialize, and a focal point of the town.”
How to help
To give online: Visit patronicity.com/kephartpark.
Drop off a donation: Bargersville Town Hall, 24 N. Main St.
Mail a donation: Bargersville Parks, Attn: Kris Wilson PO Box 420, Bargersville, IN 46106.
