LAHARPE A resident-led crowdfunding effort is underway for a number of local projects.
LaHarpe organizers, working in league with Thrive Allen County, this week launched the LaHarpe ioby (In Our Back Yard) fundraising drive.
The aim is collect $10,000 by Feb. 1, with the potential to double that figure through a matching grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.
If successful, the $20,000 will be used primarily around the LaHarpe City Park, including installation of a new drinking fountain and park benches; improvements to the backstop at the baseball/softball field; developing a BMX bike track on the east side of the park; and finally re-establishing the annual LaHarpe Days celebration.
Its early, but Im already encouraged, said LaHarpe City Councilwoman Sharlyn Thompson, who has worked extensively with Damaris Kunkler, Thrives deputy director of community engagement, and others around town to set up the ioby account.
Thompson and Kunkler used results from a community meeting in September that spotlighted community wants and needs.
They then determined which community goals were most feasible in developing the list.
From there, they stayed in touch with officials from ioby.org, an online-based crowdfunding conduit used by communities nationwide. As part of her effort, Thompson attended a two-day seminar on crowdfunding in Salina recently.
According to its website, more than 1,600 projects have been successfully funded through ioby, collecting a combined $5.3 million in 260 cities.
The LaHarpe ioby began with a $1,000 pledge from the LaHarpe City Council (the maximum single donation allowed), has brought in $2,930 in the 36 hours since its launch.
Thompson said the next few days will be busy as she and others reach out to local residents, civic organizations, churches and LaHarpe schools alumni in search of donations.
You can donate anywhere from $1 to $1,000, she said. How much we do depends on how much we can raise.
THE HEALTH Equity matching grant from the Kansas Health Foundation is through its Healthy Communities Initiative collaboration with Thrive.
The HCI effort has been used specifically for LaHarpe for the past year, and will keep Thrive in town until 2020 to help oversee other grassroots efforts, including business development or recruitment, community clean-up projects (one was done last October) and increased recreational opportunities.
