Members of the All Aboard for Stolley Park committee gathered ahead of the Oct. 1 news conference, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – A $3 million project to improve Stolley Park’s train and provide other improvements at the park had the kickoff for its fundraiser Oct. 1.
Members of the All Aboard for Stolley Park committee gathered at the train at 1 p.m. Oct. 1 to announce that the committee plans to raise $750,000 toward the total $3 million goal with the plan that the city of Grand Island would provide remaining funds. The project has received a $100,000 gift from the Wolbach Foundation.
The committee has raised $314,000 toward the $750,000 goal, it was announced Oct. 1.
“We’re going to renovate this park,” said Jack Sheard, a spokesman for the committee and a member of Grand Island’s City Council. He noted that Stolley Park is Grand Island’s largest park.
Sheard said the land on the interior of the train tracks will be renovated. It will include a play area and an area with bike tracks, which are textured tracks on which people can ride bikes. There also will be landscaping improvements completed.
Dan Naranjo, a member of the All Aboard for Stolley Park committee, said that Kids Kingdom was developed at Stolley Park in 2003. This is the second phase of further developing the park, he said.
Sheard said the “very few times” does a community project like this surface.
In 2022, a survey was completed to see what residents wanted to see in parks. Improvements to the train were among the items listed.
“You’ve got a lot of people that raise their families here,” Sheard said. He said that the park attracts thousands of people each year.
Naranjo said that every dollar donated to the project matters. He encouraged people to donate what they could.
Sheard anticipates that the project will be completed in 2026.
“There’s a lot of momentum right now for Stolley Park,” Sheard said.
One of the features for the train will be a tunnel with LED lights. The pattern in the LED lights will change.
Todd McCoy, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Grand Island, said that some projects like this don’t happen without support from groups like the All Aboard for Stolley Park committee.
The train operates on weekends from April through September. A special event for Halloween is planned. Richard Finch is the conductor.
At the conclusion of the news conference, Finch gave committee members a ride around the train with one lap of the tracks.
Becky Gdowski is a co-chair of the campaign committee.
“It was with a sense of pride we helped the community work together to create Kids Kingdom in 2003,” she said. “Now, 20 years later, we’re ready to enhance the train experience for families. With the community of Grand Island supporting our All Aboard campaign, we will have one of the most family-friendly, fun-filled parks in the state of Nebraska.”
Stolley Park has attractions including its flower gardens, soccer fields, disc golf and picnic pavilions. An estimated 200,000 people visit the park annually. Recent additions to the park include pickleball courts, a splash pad, and a new entrance.
The Stolley Park Railroad draws more than 12,000 passengers every year.
Amenities that will be added through the project include additional train features such as tunnels and signals, inclusive play mounds and structures, clear paths for walking, textured biking pump tracks, and beautification and seating.
The campaign is being run through the Greater Grand Island Community Foundation. Giving levels range from $20 to $100,000.
The website for the project is www.gicf.org/all-aboard. The mailing address for the Greater Grand Island Community Foundation is 1503 W. Second St., Grand Island, NE 68801.
Members of the All Aboard for Stolley Park Committee took a train ride at Stolley Park on Oct. 1, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
