Kendallville Outdoor Recreation Complex Endowment Fund

The Kendallville Outdoor Recreation Complex Endowment Fund was established in July of 1995. The purpose of the fund is to provide an outdoor recreational facility for the Kendallville community. It was established with the idea of providing baseball, softball, soccer, football, and other activities in one area for citizens of the community and visitors to enjoy. The fund was started with an anonymous gift of $100,000.00 to stimulate a fund-raising effort to purchase property and develop and build a new facility for Kendallville.

The fund was established following a meeting between an anonymous donor, Jim Goodwin (park director at that time), and Dr. Tom Jansen (park board president at that time). Following the meeting, the Kendallville Park and Recreation Department Board of Directors met and agreed to establish the fund and develop a committee to research, raise funds, and construct a complex. After many years of planning, development and construction the Kendallville Outdoor Recreation Complex was dedicated in May 2006. The initial anonymous gift was the initiative to raise 2.4 million dollars to build and endow the complex. The fund provides financial resources for continued maintenance of the facility. The goal of this fund is to continue the maintenance and development of the complex for years to come. The Noble County Community Foundation was chosen to house the funds due to its ability to grow and maintain the funds in a professional environment.

The fund benefits the community by providing resources for continued development and maintenance of the Kendallville Outdoor Recreation Complex. Our community benefits by providing a state of the art facility for residents and visitors to participate in outdoor sports, which provides physical activity, individual growth, team interaction, family development, and educational opportunities. The Kendallville Outdoor Recreation Complex Endowment Fund is a great story of how the foresight of one individual donor, combined with the enthusiasm of a community, can develop and maintain a facility that will provide a need in our community for many years to come.