Boyceville partners with Lions Club on Pafko playground grants

By LeAnn R. Ralph

BOYCEVILLE — The Boyceville Village Board has agreed to be a partner with the Boyceville Lions Club on grant applications for playground equipment in Pafko Park.

Murphy Breland, representing the Lions Club, spoke to the village board at Monday night’s meeting (July 8) to ask for the village’s support.

The Lions Club is a 501.C4 organization, and many grants require 501.C3 status, Breland said.

The Lions Club is asking to use the village’s tax status to apply for grants for new playground equipment at Pafko Park, he said.

The Village of Wheeler applied for grants several years ago and received about $40,000 from the Otto Bremer Foundation for playground equipment, Breland noted.

The Lions Club would pay any costs associated with applying for the grants and would need the village’s balance sheet and budget as well as occasional signatures from the village clerk and the village president, he said.

To date, the Boyceville Lions Club has raised $12,000 toward the project, Breland told the village board.

The Village of Boyceville would submit the grant applicants and not the Boyceville Lions Club, noted C.J. Swanepoel, village clerk-treasurer.

The Boyceville Lions Club would research the grant opportunities and would work with a grant writer to prepare the applications, Breland said.

“This will benefit everyone in the village,” said Herb Dow, village trustee.

Eventually the playground equipment will be turned over to the village, said Bud Gilbertson, village trustee.

The Boyceville Village Board unanimously approved a motion to sponsor the Boyceville Lion’s Club applications for playground equipment at Pafko Park.

In addition to Gilbertson and Dow, Gilbert Krueger (village president), and village trustees Jonathan Farrell, Bud Gilbertson, John Hellmann, Keith Sorensen and Brian Wolff serve on the village board.

Farrell and Hellmann were absent from the meeting.