Crowdfunding campaign launched for ‘Pickleball Court Restoration’ project in Fowler

$25,000 goal to win matching grant through MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative

LANSING, Mich. – The village of Fowler will gain a new recreational asset in the form of pickleball courts through a new crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and village of Fowler announced today. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $25,000 by March 31, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places program. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/pickleball.

“It’s encouraging to see people not only enjoying outdoor recreation but also creating new recreational assets for their community,” said MEDC Senior Vice President of Community Development Michele Wildman. “We are pleased to bring this space to life and provide resources for this effort through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

The campaign will complete the restoration of a dilapidated tennis court and create six new pickleball courts, bringing a demanded and welcomed recreation space to Fowler. Through the campaign, the village aims to offer more outdoor activity options for locals while making use of an underutilized piece of real estate. The space will host and sponsor pickleball tournaments to fund court maintenance. In addition, the game is easy to learn and can be played casually or competitively. Participants do not need any previous experience with a racquet sport to be successful and have fun.

“The village of Fowler is looking to restore our old tennis courts with the addition of six pickleball courts, providing a greater opportunity to meet and greet other members within the community. Our desire is to make Fowler the local hot spot for pickleball and to attract more families to our community,” said Fowler Village Clerk Rhonda Feldpausch. “New courts will provide another opportunity to showcase what Fowler has to offer – family, friends, fun, fitness, fresh air and so much more.”

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League and Patronicity, in which residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan.

“Activating public spaces with recreational opportunities is key to great placemaking,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and executive director of the Michigan Municipal League. “This project will help set the village of Fowler apart by utilizing the newly-popular sport of pickleball.”

The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of February 27, 2020, MEDC has provided more than $7.2 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 236 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with $8.4 million raised from 43,358 individual donors.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.