Hollywild gets cash donation, Americorps assistance
Two gifts could help Hollywild Animal Park start 2017 strong.
The park recently received $20,000 from the Balmer Foundation, its second-largest donation since becoming a nonprofit in 1999. Hollywild was also approved for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps work on several areas of the Wellford park.
“We have a pond area that looks pretty but needs a lot of maintenance. We wanted to reclaim that for education, especially for indigenous species,” said Kim Atchley, Hollywild executive director. “We have a lot here that we’ve never done education about.”
When AmeriCorps workers come to the park on Jan. 11, they'll spend more than two months removing trees that have fallen into a pond because of erosion.
The college-age workers will also maintain the walking and retention areas around the pond, Atchley said.
She said it would have been years before the park could've afforded to complete the projects.
"Having an outside team come in and focus on a big project like this saves us an incredible amount of money and time," she said. "With our current resources, it might have been years before we could have afforded to hire the labor to do this project."
The workers will stay on-site at the park and will use the shower facilities at Inman First Baptist Church, Atchley said.
The Balmer Foundation donation will help the park's short-term fundraising goal.
The $20,000 gift means Hollywild has raised more than $150,000 of a $250,000 goal to help fund the park's operation.
Earlier this year, Atchley told a public forum that the park needed $500,000 to stay afloat. A fundraising committee decided to split the total need in half, and to postpone some of the long-term maintenance and care goals.
Atchley said she hopes the Balmer Foundation gift brings in more donations, as people learn more about Hollywild.
“It reminds people what we’re trying to do here,” she said. “We’re excited with the response we’ve had with first-time givers. We’ve now got some great momentum going.”
This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 11:06 PM with the headline "Hollywild gets cash donation, Americorps assistance."