Michael Hines, left, director of annual giving and communications at Oglebay Institute, speaks with Lisa Allen, chair of the Oglebay Foundation, after announcing “Forever Yours: The Campaign For An Enduring Oglebay” Monday in the gardens at the park. (Photo by Joselyn King)
WHEELING — Oglebay Park and Wheeling Park are both coming up on their 100th birthdays, and the Oglebay Foundation is now seeking “100,000 community gifts” to commemorate the occasion and assure the parks continue into the future.
The Oglebay Foundation officially launched “Forever Yours: The Campaign For An Enduring Oglebay” Monday in the Bissonette Gardens.
The “Forever Yours” campaign seeks support of 100,000 community gifts to fund projects and initiatives “designed to enhance the visitor experience, preserve the parks’ natural beauty, and ensure their sustainability for future generations,” according to information provided by park officials
The fundraising campaign is different from many in that it doesn’t set a specific dollar amount as a goal. The intention, instead, is for members of the community to step forward and contribute whatever they can to the park so that they feel engaged and connected to the Wheeling Park system, explained Eriks Janelsins, CEO and president of the Oglebay Foundation.
“This is a five-year fundraising campaign to transform every element of both Oglebay and Wheeling Park ahead of three really big milestone events,” he explained. “Wheeling Park will turn 100 in 2025, the Good Zoo will turn 50 in 2027, and Oglebay Park will celebrate its centennial in 2028.
“So over the next five years, our goal is to engage the community like it never has been before. 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.”
Upgrades within the Wheeling Park system have already started. A major renovation of the White Palace at Wheeling Park is set to be unveiled May 24.
Next, there will be upgrades to the Stifel playground area, and the Schwertfeger shelter.
Most projects at the park are the results of federal, state and city grants, but typically local matching dollars are needed, Janelsins explained.
“Private citizens have stepped up in a big way to make all of those projects a reality,” he said.
In January 2024, renovations to Wilson Lodge will begin. This will include upgrades to guest rooms and public spaces and improving amenities.
“The entire front entrance will change. The entire approach to Wilson Lodge will change. The restaurants will change,” Janelsins said. “There will be a complete facelift and new concepts in both the Glassworks and the Ihlenfeld Dining Room.
“But again, it’s the results of Wheeling families and the community making gifts that make those projects go forward.”
In the coming months, an expansion of the Good Zoo is planned, including the addition of new animal habitats and educational programming.
There will be preservation of the parks’ natural beauty through initiatives such as reforestation, habitat restoration, and sustainability. In addition, new outdoor recreation programs — including hiking, mountain biking, and wellness — will be developed.
Lisa Allen serves as chair of the Oglebay Foundation.
“I grew up here. I worked here when I was young. I’ve had events here. Oglebay is forever mine,” she said. “It’s forever yours, no doubt. It’s where we come for peace and tranquility, fun and for play. Who wouldn’t want to be involved?”
“Oglebay has been in my heart all my life. It’s in my children’s hearts. It’s in my grandchildren’s hearts. It’s who we are,” she said.
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