Crowdfunding Campaign Launched for the “Village of Honor: A Playground for Maley Park” Project

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

 

LANSING, Mich. – The Village of Honor will transform an underused field at A.B. Maley Park into an active play space through the anticipated success of a crowdfunding campaign. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Maley Park Playground Committee, and the Village of Honor announced the campaign today, which is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.  

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $25,000 by August 30th, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/honor. 

“This new play space at Maley Park will transform an underutilized greenspace into a vibrant engaging recreational asset for the community," said MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz. “We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program.” 

The Village of Honor’s Maley Park sits along Highway 31 connecting Traverse City and Lake Michigan. Thanks to efforts by the community the park contains a large gazebo, swing set, and even an artisan well where visitors can stop to enjoy and refresh. The park is also home to the National Coho Salmon Festival with this park already being a frequented site to host community events throughout the year. 

Included in this park is an open, triangle-shaped grass field. This space is underutilized and would serve as the site to build the new playground. This park is set up to be an active community gathering space for residents of the surrounding neighborhood, the downtown, and other visitors. 

“The PSCP matching grant program is a game changer that will allow the Village of Honor to provide a much-needed playground for children in the community,” said Dallas Denoyer, Village of Honor council member and President of Maley Park Playground Committee. “Without these funds this project would not be possible. We are very grateful and excited to make this dream a reality!” 

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League, and Patronicity, in which local 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. 

“This addition to Maley Park will provide a safe place for children to play and explore the world around them,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League. “It will also give those in the Honor community and beyond the opportunity to make memories together. Turning an underutilized field into a place that sparks joy and connection is a great example of what is possible by implementing placemaking efforts throughout our state.” 

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 June 20, 2024, MEDC has provided more than $12.8 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 381 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $14.7 million raised from 71,069 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds. 

 

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.