ALEX McCARTHY | JUNEAU EMPIRE Representatives from IGA, including, from left, Ace Hardware’s Craig Good, IGA Store Manager Rick Wilson, Perishable Manager Brad Folckomer, Myers Group Director of Operations Mark Graham, Assistant Store Director JP Oudekerk and Point of Sale Manager Silver Ligsay present Juneau Community Foundation Executive Director Amy Skilbred (second from right) with a $5,000 check Monday morning to aid with the Twin Lakes Playground rebuilding effort. The Juneau Community Foundation is nearing the halfway point of its fundraising efforts, with a goal of $100,000.

ALEX McCARTHY | JUNEAU EMPIRE Representatives from IGA, including, from left, Ace Hardware’s Craig Good, IGA Store Manager Rick Wilson, Perishable Manager Brad Folckomer, Myers Group Director of Operations Mark Graham, Assistant Store Director JP Oudekerk and Point of Sale Manager Silver Ligsay present Juneau Community Foundation Executive Director Amy Skilbred (second from right) with a $5,000 check Monday morning to aid with the Twin Lakes Playground rebuilding effort. The Juneau Community Foundation is nearing the halfway point of its fundraising efforts, with a goal of $100,000.

Fundraising for playground rebuild moving quickly

Fundraising efforts for the Twin Lakes Playground rebuild began quickly and have only been picking up speed, with the help of local and statewide businesses.

Multiple donations Monday kept Juneau Community Foundation (JCF) Executive Director Amy Skilbred busy. Alaska USA Federal Credit Union began the day with a $2,000 donation. Foodland IGA, Super Bear IGA and Supervalu then presented Skilbred with a check for $5,000. Standing in the morning sun, IGA representatives including Foodland IGA Manager Rick Wilson and others shared memories of the playground and expressed gratitude for the JCF for keeping track of the donations for the playground.

The day was capped off with a $25,000 donation from the Cruise Lines International Association Alaska’s Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation (CICF), which was to be presented during the Rockin’ the Park fundraising concert at Centennial Hall on Monday night.

The playground, which was built in 2007 thanks to donations and volunteers from the community, was burned down in late April. The City and Borough of Juneau’s insurance is paying for all but the $100,000 deductible, and the public has been feverishly donating to the project.

As of Monday morning, Skilbred said, nearly $40,000 of the $100,000 goal had been raised, with the CICF donation and a $25,000 matching grant from BP Alaska yet to be included.

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