After more than a year of fundraising and preparation, Prairie residents will be able to see their support for the Fort Fun renovation project at work.
According to Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Mike Wallace, equipment removal has begun, and the site is being prepared for the revamped playground.
“Our Public Works and Water/Wastewater Departments are working together to complete this important part of the project,” he said.
He added that Fort Fun is expected to hit several milestones over the next couple of months, including the completion of concrete work in “the next few weeks,” and the new equipment should be installed by the middle of next month. “We’re excited to see this project continue to take shape and get closer to becoming a reality for our community.”
Even as construction gets underway, Fort Fun is receiving donations to help shoulder the project’s expenses.
Wallace announced that Fort Fun received $3,000 from Universal Forest Products, which has a plant in Prairie du Chien, in early September. According to Ashley Johnson, office administrator and human resources coordinator for Deckorators (a subsidiary of UFP Industries), the money was requested by the Prairie du Chien plant from the UFP Industries Foundation’s Strong Communities Program.
“We are constantly looking for ways to support our community,” said Johnson. “The Fort Fun project has been on our radar since the beginning. We donated material for the original project, and we wanted to continue that tradition.”
Johnson added that Fort Fun aligns with the goals of UFP’s Strong Communities Program. “Family is the heart of everything we do... The Strong Communities Program is an opportunity to invest in local families and great lasting memories for generations to come.”
The project also accepted a $500 donation from Pete’s Hamburger Stand. Wallace said the money was part of the proceeds Pete’s raised during this year’s Memorial Day weekend fundraiser.
Mary Huser said Pete’s donates money each year to various causes, including ones focused on helping people with disabilities. Pete’s has given a total of $1,000 toward the project. The stand has also given money to food pantries and organizations that help people diagnosed with cancer.
The Fort Fun project has received support from many community groups since the project was proposed in 2024, when the Common Council was notified of the playground’s needs. Wallace has previously said the budget for the project was “a little more than $500,000.”
This past year, the project received contributions from the George Family Foundation, The Barn, Peoples State Bank and the Bluff View Elementary Student Council, just to name a few. Wallace reported that residents from Prairie du Chien, Eastman, Seneca, and other nearby communities have put money toward the remodel.
Fort Fun is still accepting donations. Any donation received by Sept. 21 will still be included on the playground’s donor wall, so there’s still time to contribute to Prairie du Chien’s new accessible recreation park.
The goal is to make an all-inclusive area with updated equipment to make it more accessible and dynamic for more children in the community.
This past fall, Kelsey Kleven, a member of the Fort Fun Committee, said, “Providing an inclusive space means that all families should be able to enjoy Fort Fun, and as it is, they can’t. There will still be climbing and things like that, but it will provide a space where there is opportunity for people to all play together.”
