The 4RKids Foundation recently received a significant boost to its capital campaign, with a $100,000 grant from the Inasmuch Foundation.
4RKids provides employment opportunities to adults with developmental disabilities, support and outreach to their families, and supports local enrichment opportunities for the developmentally disabled, including Miracle League and Special Olympics.
4RKids Executive Director Tricia Mitchell said the capital campaign was launched to raise $4.2 million to construct a new building, renovate the existing structure at 710 Overland Trail, and remake two previous miniature golf courses into one improved wheelchair-accessible course, which was completed last March.
Mitchell said 4RKids has raised almost $2.4 million of the total $4.2 million needed, and spent about $475,000 to upgrade the golf course.
In February, 4RKids applied for the grant through Inasmuch Foundation to help close the gap on the amount needed to start construction on the new building.
According to the Inasmuch Foundation website, the foundation is “dedicated to the betterment of people, communities and the neighborhoods in which we live,” and “assists charitable and educational organizations achieve their goals” in the areas of education, health, arts and the environment.
Bob Ross, president of Inasmuch Foundation, said the foundation was drawn to 4RKids’ mission of serving children and adults with special needs.
“We learned about the wonderful work their organization is doing to provide services and opportunities for special needs children and adults in Garfield County,” Ross said, “and at Inasmuch Foundation we are proud to support such a terrific organization providing much-needed services to these special needs individuals.”
Mitchell said 4RKids has about $1.9 million available for the new building, and the $100,000 grant will bring the organization close to the estimated $2 million price tag for the project.
The new 10,000-square-foot building is designed to have two work rooms, a manufacturing kitchen, a computer room to help families connect with resources for special needs children or adults, offices and an indoor nine-hole miniature golf course.
Mitchell said the commercial kitchen will enable 4RKids to move production of its dog treats out of Autry Technology Center, where two to seven workers work with a job coach daily, and the indoor golf course will give the foundation year-round income to support its programs.
When the building is complete, Mitchell said it will enable 4RKids to more-than double the number of people the foundation can help with job coaching, from 60 now to 100 in the first year, and eventually 150.
4RKids currently is waiting on engineering plans for the new building, and Mitchell said the board will make a decision after bids come in about whether or not to proceed with construction with the funds currently available.
The remainder of the $4.2 million in the capital campaign will go toward renovating the existing building, adjacent to the miniature golf course, to include a conference room and party room available for rent.
Mitchell said the Inasmuch Foundation grant brings 4RKids one step closer to expanding the foundation’s services for special needs members of the community.
“This is a huge addition to our campaign,” Mitchell said, “and goes a long way toward increasing our ability to continue serving the people we serve, and we are very thankful for this.”
Story provided by Enid News & Eagle
Written by: James Neal