State Representative Angie King and Darke County Commissioner Matt Aultman were instrumental in helping the Poultry Days and Heritage Park Boards to receive funding for improvements at the park.
Submitted photo
VERSAILLES — The Heritage Park and Poultry Days Boards are happy to announce the receipt of two separate grants from the State of Ohio to support Heritage Park improvements. A $75,000 and a $100,000 Capital Appropriation grant were received to assist with the restroom & lighting project.
A special thank you to State Representative Angie King for her tenacious support to secure these grants. Additional thanks to State Senator Matt Huffman, County Commissioner Matt Aultman, and Director of Economic Development Mike Bowers. This was a long process and the commitment to make this happen went above and beyond. At one point both Aultman and King worked with the team late into the evening to submit a funding request. This commitment to raising funds did pay off with $175,000 in grants.
The state funding has been added to donations from Harold and Deb Pohl, the Bocholt Foundation and an anonymous matching grant of $100,000. These numbers are significant but substantial funds are still required to complete the estimated $500,000 project.
The next phase of park improvements includes construction of restrooms near the amphitheater. As use of the amphitheater has grown the need for closer restrooms has become evident. The second addition is lighting. Adding lighting around the park, including lighting walkways to parking lots is needed to improve safety. The third addition is a larger playground. The proposed playground will replace the older playground and provide additional children’s activities for different age ranges.
If you would like to donate, checks may be made payable to Heritage Park and mailed to PO Box 108, Versailles, Ohio 45380. If you have a question or are interested in learning more, email [email protected] or contact: Tony Rose 937-638-3132, HB Hole 937-417-5945 or Brian Griesdorn 937-417-3227. The Heritage Park board is also considering additional improvements and would welcome your support and input. Please donate.
Heritage Park was established in 1985 by Poultry Days with a second phase added shortly thereafter. The Heritage Park Board was established to actively manage the park and oversee maintenance and improvement. While open to the public, the park is privately owned and operations are not government funded. Operations are funded from Poultry Days festival proceeds and volunteer labor from the Heritage Park Board.
