Trending
For nearly a century, Oglebay and Wheeling parks have been jewels in the community, supplying visitors both from Wheeling and abroad with fun times and great memories. Now the parks are looking ahead to the next century, and this past week kicked off a capital campaign worthy of the community's attention.
The Oglebay Foundation officially launched "Forever Yours: The Campaign For An Enduring Oglebay" Monday in the Bissonette Gardens. With that campaign, the foundation is hoping to receive the support of 100,000 community gifts to sustain both parks for decades to come.
"Our goal is to engage the community like it never has been before," Oglebay Foundation President and CEO Eriks Janelsins said. "These parks are only the result of the love from the community, and park philanthropy is the key to our success today. But we want to engage the community in a totally different way, and really help make sure these parks endure for the next generation, but also redefine what a park means to a community and really an entire world."
The Oglebay Foundation hasn't waited on evolving for the future. The renovations at Wheeling Park's White Palace are headed toward the finish line, with a new-look ballroom upstairs and a cafe set to open on the main floor. A Wilson Lodge renovation is planned at Oglebay Park, as is an expansion at The Good Zoo.
These parks have been critically important to the business and recreation of Ohio County for decades. You'd be hard pressed to travel anywhere else around West Virginia and find parks with the amenities that Wheeling and Oglebay feature. With their swimming pools, golf courses and lodging, they make the Wheeling area a tantalizing destination for organizations looking to hold conferences or athletic conferences looking to hold tournaments.
As crucial as Oglebay and Wheeling parks have been to the community, the community's members should find some way to maintain their momentum. In soliciting 100,000 gifts, the Oglebay Foundation realizes they won't all be major donations. But every donation will make a difference, and that will serve as proof that the local community cares about Oglebay and Wheeling parks and want to see them thrive.
Oglebay Foundation chair Lisa Allen summed up the feelings of so many in the community when she talked about what the parks have meant to her and her family. She's not alone, as Oglebay and Wheeling parks have been a source of pride for locals when they talk about the great parts of our city.
"Oglebay has been in my heart all my life," Allen said. "It's in my children's hearts. It's in my grandchildren's hearts. It's who we are."
And it's who we must continue to be. Finding ways to support the foundation's campaign can ensure that will happen.