The Goal
Among the many exciting developments in 2013 at the Eau Claire Community Foundation was establishing a fund for the Pinehurst Project. This project entails the expansion and rebuilding effort of the ski hill at Pinehurst Park, on the north side of Eau Claire. This is a partnership between the Eau Claire Parks Department and a group of community members committed to creating an environment that promotes healthy lifestyle choices through outdoor recreational activity.
The Connection
The Eau Claire Community Foundation has a long connection with the Pinehurst Project; two of the founders of the Eau Claire Community Foundation were Arnold and Lois Domer, who originally operated the Pinehurst ski hill from 1934 to 1955 before donating the land to this city. This connection and the drive of the community members who have committed themselves to the project made this a natural partnership for ECCF.
The Beginning
In the fall of 2013, the project began. The hill had many unsafe terrain obstacles, and the land needed to be leveled at the bottom of the hill. The volunteers tackled these issues by removing trees and stumps. When that was completed, they graded the hill, seeded it, and put up erosion control measures.
The Future
This is just the start of the Pinehurst Project, though. In the future, the group plans on building opportunities for cross country skiing and summer mountain biking as well as on constructing stairs and a rope lift to make climbing the hill much easier.
Making it Happen
The Pinehurst Project fund at the Eau Claire Community Foundation accepts tax-deductible donations of any size to keep building on the amazing momentum that was started in 2013.