Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Approves Generous Grant

Let's make this park a reality!

View this email in your browser Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Approves Generous Grant Thank you to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation for supporting the Main Street Park Alliance with a two-year, $400,000 grant to support the construction of our new downtown park. This partnership advances our shared vision to create a welcoming space where people can connect, be active, and enjoy the heart of our community. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation invests across 8 different program areas, and this project works at the intersection of two, aligning with the Foundation’s Parks, Trails & Green Design and Entrepreneurship & Economic Development work, supporting both community vitality and economic growth. Check out MSPA's Photo Gallery! Construction is well underway, with the skate park taking shape and trees beginning to be planted. We are excited to celebrate our progress with our supporters. Visit the MSPA website for a photographic tour from the property’s condition at purchase, through environmental remediation, and current construction. The progress is incredible!  Meet Bertilla Boylan, a Former FSW Employee! Bertilla Boylan (1897-1988) lost her husband while still raising four young children in Chelsea. She took a job at Federal Screw Works, located on Congdon St., where the kids’ school was also located. She was employed in the era before women wore slacks in public, but they were necessary for her job. Bertilla would don a dress to walk the kids to school, change into her work slacks at the factory, and  change back into a dress when she walked back to school after her shift. Bertilla worked at FSW when they received the Navy “E” for war production and remained until her eventual retirement. Thank you, Barb Boylan-Lewis, for sharing your family’s FSW story and photos! Construction Campaign Update We are $450,000 away from meeting our fundraising goal! If you haven’t participated in our Construction Campaign, NOW is the time.  There are lots of creative ways to contribute, and every level of support helps.  Donations of $5,000 and above will be permanently recognized in the park. Are you thinking of making a charitable donation before year's end? If you are age 70 1/2 or older, remember you can direct your IRA to pay your annual donations (up to $108k for 2025), and this IRA withdrawal will not be taxable to you.  This tax law, known as the Qualified Charitable Distribution, is a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of!  Or perhaps you have appreciated stock you would like to donate to us? Through our partnership with Chelsea State Bank, we can receive stock donations. This is a win-win! We receive the full value of the stock to help fund the park, while you can make your donation without paying tax on the gain of this appreciated stock. ANONYMOUS $50,000 FOUNDATION MATCHING GRANT!  Double your donation! A generous anonymous foundation will match up to $50,000 in donations between now and the end of the year!  If you would like to send a check, please make it payable to Main Street Park Alliance. Our address is: P.O. Box 222, Chelsea, MI 48118. Thank You! Join the Fun at A Novel Evening to Build the Park  Thank you, Michelle Tuplin of Serendipity Books, for organizing a fundraising event to support the park. Browse books while enjoying a glass of wine and light refreshments at Serendipity Books on Sunday, December 7, from 5:30–7 pm.  Check out the final construction drawings. MSPA board members will be available to provide a park construction update and answer questions. Tickets to the event are $25; all proceeds, plus 10% of book sales, will support park construction. Special thanks to The Grateful Crow and Withington’s for providing the beverages and refreshments.  Thank you to Our Recent Donors!  This park is truly a community effort, and in a divided world, it is heartening to see so many businesses and individuals come together to build an incredible community asset. Thank you to the following recent donors:  Danielle Amber, Astor Academy’s Lemonade Sale, Robert Ayotte, Anonymous, Jennifer Baghdoian, Kathy Baker, Bill Ballagh, Fonda Barkel, Dennis & Susan Bauer, Sudha Bhat, Janice Botsford, Carol Blotter, Michael Burke, Andrew Cash, Chelsea Community Foundation, Cleary's Pub, Charles Craves, Mandy and Frank Critchfield, Cottage Inn Pizza, Craig Nikischer, CULVER'S, Downtown Development Authority, DeRuyver Family, Doan Family Fund, Julie Doty, Patricia Z Dunhill, Amanda Eisenmann, Jay Eskes, Bridget Favre, Amanda Friedman, Catherine Guinan, Gorton Riethmiller, Grateful Crow: Tuesday Night, Mark & Amy Heydlauff, Brian Hickey, Gretchen Huffman, Jon & Janice Inwood, Susan & Steve Jacobs, Elizabeth Jarratt, Pat & Dan Kaminsky, Kiwanis Club of Chelsea, Timothy LaBreche, Jonathan & Margaret Lane, Lane Animal Hospital, Brian Lantis, Kay LeFurge, Terri & Richard McCalla, Patricia MacLeod, John & Anne Mann, Matthew & Tammy Mason, Roberts Paint & Body, Inc, Zachary Mays, Elizabeth Miller, Carrie Mueller, Patrick Muldoon, Misty Noble, Lisa Orlandi-Korner, Emily Pauley, Milagros Paredes, Susan Palmer Webber, Gregory Pfent, Dan Piercy, Pierce Family Fund, David & Barbara Pruess, Shawn Quilter, Paula M Rexer, Jessica Rickli, Robert & Jeanene Riemenschneider, Abigail S Rose, Jane Shrosbree, Anne Seyferth, Darris Smedshammer, Nicole Stafford, Bryanne Stachlewitz, Tara Stone, Bruce Stubbs, Yvonne M Sturt, Stephanie Tometich, Thompson's Pizzeria, Kristen Uthus, Kristin VanReesema, William Wescott, Boyd & Arlene Wiltse, Marcia White, Nancy Whitelaw, Suzanne Witte, Katherine Zurenko. Call For Artists MSPA invites artists to create a mural that embodies the values at the heart of the Main Street Park project: community, growth, hope, wellness, and connection. Located at 500 S. Main Street—a site once defined by abandonment and contamination; now reimagined as a vibrant public space—the mural will serve as a symbol of renewal and possibility, capturing the spirit of a place transformed for the common good.  We are seeking a design that is abstract, inspiring, and contemporary, a work that moves beyond literal depictions to evoke the deeper energy of the project. The mural should suggest the interconnectedness of people and nature, the rhythm of renewal, and the uplifting spirit that comes from reclaiming space for wellness, play, and belonging.  Please share with an artist you may know who might be interested in participating. Full details for the Call for Artists are available on the MSPA website. *Proceeds from the merchandise is not a fundraiser. Wear this gear to help us build visual awareness of the Park’s mission. Shop Main Street Park Alliance’s Online Store today! Copyright © 2025, Main Street Park Alliance, All rights reserved.