Elbert Park Improvement Project
The Elbert Park Improvement Project is a massive, joint effort between the Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce, Pocahontas Hometown Pride Committee, and community volunteers to add a variety of desired recreational amenities to our community. The contents on this page walks through the current stages of the project, what has been completed so far, and planning documents to show what is potentially come in the future. Currently, we are raising funds for a paved walking trail and have the start of a trail master plan in progress to identify the overall cost and the route. You can make an online donation with a credit card by clicking the Donate Now button, where you will be send to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines website.
Most Recent News:
The Pocahontas Hometown Pride Committee is excited to begin new projects at Elbert Park this Summer.
The Hometown Pride Committee received two very sensational grants over the winter months to improve the park for this season. The first was a Pocahontas County Foundation grant, which enabled the purchase of new picnic tables for the campgrounds. The tables were strategically placed to be able to be utilized by both the campers as well as t-ball spectators since the two areas are conjoined at Elbert Park. With the help of Brian Slama and the City of Pocahontas, the tables were picked up and delivered to the campgrounds during the last week of April. The Hometown Pride Committee is very grateful to the City of Pocahontas and the Pocahontas County Foundation for this opportunity!
The second grant was a Black Hills Energy Power of Trees grant, which enabled the purchasingof 10 trees to be planted at the campground and soccer fields at Elbert Park. This will help alleviate the loss of ash trees in the park area from the emerald ash borer, and also eventually provide shaded areas during the ball games. The tree planting will happen later this month, and the group is honored and grateful to have our community be one of the recipients of this very competitive grant from Black Hills Energy and Trees Forever.
Speaking of ash trees, the big project the Hometown Pride Committee has decided to work on for 2023 is having tree trunk carvings made by a chainsaw artist from ash trees that will be cut down due to being infected by the emerald ash borer. “Some other communities have done similar projects with failing ash trees, such as ‘Okobotree’ around the Iowa Great Lakes,” noted Hometown Pride Committee member Parker Aden. “We think this project will add a magnificent vibrancy to the Elbert Park area!”
The group will be doing fundraising and grant writing efforts this summer to raise funds for this project. If you know of a chainsaw artist who would be interested in working on this project, please contact Helen Beneke or Parker Aden to share who you know! If you would like to help with fundraising or make a donation, you can do so online at www.desmoinesfoundation.org/pocahontasprojects or contact a Pocahontas Hometown Pride Committee Member to learn more. The Committee currently consists of Corinne Peterson, Helen Beneke, Dick Gruber, Suzanne Dudley, Parker Aden, Callie Kirkegaard, Jonathan Rittgers, and Bonnie Wood, and is coached by Margo Underwood.
In the coming month, the group plans to have a work day at Elbert Park. The Pocahontas themed murals as well as the donor wall will be displayed once again on the shelter houses. They had been taken off and put away to be better protected during the winter. The group will also work on staining the wooden equipment on the north side of the park as well as painting the northern swing set to match the colors of the new equipment that was installed last summer. If you have an interest in helping during this project day, please contact Parker Aden at pocahontaschamber@gmail.com.
Phases & Donors of the Project
Individual projects planned and/or considered for the Elbert Park Improvement Project can be found by viewing the Elbert Park Master Plan document, which was funded by the City of Pocahontas. Below are the phases and projects that are currently being worked on, as well as large donors that have contributed to them.
Installation of New Playground Equipment
Status of Project: The new playground equipment has been installed on the southeast side of Elbert Park, and this project is finished! The goal of $66,000 to install new playground equipment was reached in May 2021. The installation of the equipment was delayed due to manufacturing operating behind schedule as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business & Organization Donors: Availa Foundation, Black Hills Energy, Brand FX, Casey’s General Store, Hair Designs by Joann, Hopkins Insurance, Iowa Lakes Electric Charitable Foundation, Land o’Lakes Foundation, NEW Cooperative, Pocahontas Catholic School, Pocahontas County Farm Bureau, Pocahontas County Foundation, Pocahontas Community Hospital, Pocahontas Dental, Poky Trading Co., PRO Cooperative, Quilting on Main, Seiler Appliance, Stover Construction, Thomas and Kuchel PLLC, United Bank of Iowa, Vonnahme Chiropractic Clinic, Wood's Super Market, Zdrazil Construction.
Private Donors: In Memory of Joan DeWall Perry, In Memory of Wilbur & Beverly Lumsden, and other anonymous private donors.
Resurfacing Tennis Courts & Adding Pickleball Courts
Status of Project: In September 2021, the City of Pocahontas covered the cost of laying a new cover of asphalt over the existing tennis court. The second part of the project, to install an acrylic court surface on top of that asphalt, has reached it’s goal thanks in large part to a Rotary Club grant, a donation in memory of Cathie Shors, and a few other key donors listed below. The acrylic surface will be applied and courts will be painted once the above ground net system is available from backorder in Summer 2022.
Business & Organization Donors: City of Pocahontas, Hopkins Insurance , IMT Insurance , Pocahontas Fire Department, Pocahontas Rotary Club
Private Donors: In memory of Cathie Shors, Helen & Don Beneke, Bonnie & Kurt Wood, and other anonymous private donors.
Walking Trail Kickstarter
Status of Project: In August 2021, we received notice that our Wellmark Small MATCH Grant was approved in full for $25,000. A half match of $12,500 needed to be raised by November 3rd in order to receive the grant funding. Thanks to the City of Pocahontas matching donations up to a total of $6,000 and large donations from the donors listed below, we were able to quickly reached the amount needed to match the grant. This funding allows a Master Trail Plan to be made, that intends to connect Princess, Elbert, and Rosenberger Parks by a multi-use walking and biking trail. This plan will show the trail route and give costs associated with constructing the trail. Additionally, this grant enables trail extensions to be laid at Elbert Park in Summer 2022, which will better connect the amenities already installed at the park to make them more accessible and will link up to the larger trail once it is finished.
Business Donors: Availa Foundation, City of Pocahontas, Pocahontas Farm and Home, Pocahontas State Bank
Private Donors: In memory of Theesfeld Family - Kenneth, Karen, and Ken Jr., and other anonymous private donors.
Fundraiser Donors
This project has received several generous donations, and it could not be done without the following businesses and individuals for their charitable giving and enthusiasm for the project! Aden Ag, Aspen Leaf Cafe & Coffee House, Clover Lane Farm, Corinne Peterson, Erickson Seed, Glamma Cups, Interact Club of PAC, The Kaleidoscope Factory, Lenus Schram, Matt Beneke, Paintings in Oil, Quilting on Main, ReDecor, United Bank of Iowa, Webbink Insurance.
History of Elbert Park
Elbert Park was originally known as Pocahontas City Park, but was renamed and dedicated in 1987 in memory of Louis and Irma Elbert after they donated funds to city parks and the community. $60,000 on behalf of the Elberts were placed in a trust fund for the park to help make additions and improvements from accrued interest throughout the years. The gray granite memorial that currently presides at the front of the park was placed to honor the Elberts in 1987.
The last major playground set was installed in the park in 1990 and is still in the park on the northwest side today. A standalone, free structure play area was installed in 2004 in the southeast side, which is where the new playground equipment will go in to compliment the remaining free-standing structures that are in good condition. Smaller structures have been added and removed to the park throughout the years between then and now.
Origin of Pocahontas Community Projects Fund
Pocahontas residents create funds for community betterment. As reported in the Pocahontas Record-Democrat by Erin Sommers.
Brenda Vrba knew she wanted to use money received in her husband Gary’s memory for Pocahontas projects. After all, the couple had been active with Pocahontas Hometown Pride, and Vrba knew there were always projects that needed funding. But when she suggested using the money to pay for a new roof for the log cabin at Princess Park, her son, Chris, suggested she hold off a bit. “Chris said, ‘Let’s just wait and see if something else turns up that’s more suitable,’” Vrba said.
One day, Vrba saw a Facebook post from fellow community supporter Leonard Olson. “Leonard had the comment on there about handicapped people and wanting to stop at Princess Park and it’s not accessible,” Vrba said. The comment struck a chord with Vrba. Gary Vrba had also been handicapped and walked all over Pocahontas using a walker. Olson had often commented on how he was inspired by Gary Vrba’s example, and talked about how he would like to see the city become more accessible for people with disabilities. “Until you are a handicapped person or a caregiver of a handicapped person, you don’t realize how inaccessible things are,” Vrba said.
She went back to her children and told them she wanted to use the money to install handicap-accessible sidewalks at Princess Park leading to the cabin and the restrooms, with a picnic table alongside the sidewalk. Vrba, who is still an active Hometown Pride member, approached Margo Underwood to talk with her about donating the money for a sidewalk project. Underwood had a suggestion for a bigger vision. She pointed to Gilmore City’s project fund and thought the Vrbas could create a similar fund in Pocahontas. The Vrba’s created the Pocahontas Community Projects Fund with the memorial money and a donation from the family.
At the same time, Olson decided to set up a fund, too.
"The Olson Family Fund was established by Leonard to support live theatre productions in Pocahontas and the surrounding area," Underwood said. "This is a Donor-Advised Fund created through the Pocahontas County Foundation and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. Check out the website that Leonard developed to explain the purpose of this Fund at www.olsonfamilyfund.com. People can contribute online to the Olson Family Fund by clicking on the link found on this website. All funds received through the Leonard Olson Charitable Fund are granted to non-profit charitable organizations which support live theatre."
Underwood said she sees several big benefits to community members creating these kinds of funds. "Committee-Advised Funds share the same giving philosophy," she said. "Established by groups, organizations or businesses, committee-advised funds make grants to causes they care about, committee-advised funds are making an impact through collective giving." Donors can make contributions at any time and donations can be a variety of things, including appreciated securities, real estate, retirement plans, life insurance and agricultural assets. Using these types of funds comes with one more big benefit.
"The ability to combine funds into professionally managed portfolios allows greater diversification of investments and greater access to investment vehicles that would not be possible for individual funds," Underwood said.
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The Pocahontas Community Projects Fund is being used for the Elbert Park Improvement Project, as it allows for tax deductible donations to be made by individual and business donors and can also be used to secure funding through charitable giving programs. Furthermore, any donor is able to specify what project at the park they’d like their donation to go towards, and that donation can be earmarked in the fund. If you have any questions about the fund or making a donation, please contact us.