Rotary Club donates to park project

The Jackson Rotary Club donated $5,000 and pledged an additional $5,000 for next year for a concession stand at Jackson's new soccer park.

Rotary president Rick Shultz presented the first check at Monday night's Jackson Board of Aldermen meeting.

Shultz said the donation is part of the Rotary International's 100th anniversary project. The local chapter is 75 years old and has about 85 members.

The city, which recently accepted the park property from the Jackson Soccer Park Association, has made no budget plans to include the concession building.

Shultz said he hopes the donation, which will cover roughly a third of the building, will inspire more organizations and businesses to become sponsors.

"I don't recall anything else in recent years that comes close to the size of this donation," Shultz said of the Rotary Club.

Among other notable local projects, the Rotary donated funds and labor for Rotary Lake at Jackson's city park. It also helped fund the walking trails at the park.

Last year, two Optimist Clubs donated $30,000 each for a skatepark, which is scheduled for construction this spring.