FC effort seeks recreational development locally

The concept of community might seem quaint and old-fashioned to some, but Penny Dupont and Katie Freeman think the time is ripe for Franklin County to embrace the ties that bind and renew the belief that this a special place to live.

The two are spearheading a grassroots effort to improve the area’s overall quality of life for residents and visitors by promoting recreational opportunities and destinations that will serve to help people better enjoy what the county has to offer.

“One of the things we feel like is missing is coming together for events and activities regularly,” Dupont said.

“People who have lived here for any length of time remember having programs where neighbors from all over came to spend the day and enjoy a good, family-focused time.”

Dupont said events of days gone by like the “Great Day” gathering in Bude and a myriad of other past activities, for many, are now just a memory.

To this end, she and Freeman are working on the concept of developing a county-wide recreational facility that could host such events along with offering playgrounds for children, a walking track for the health conscious, picnic facilities or even a place to just unwind outdoors.

“Katie and I felt like this was something that we could work on and hopefully get more people involved in wanting to have something for all age groups and from every walk of life,” Dupont continued.
“Over the last 10 to 15 years, those things have kind of fallen away,” Freeman said. “We look around now and people complain that there’s nothing to do ... well, we have the ability to change that starting now.”

Freeman said growing up in Franklin County meant a great deal to her and she hoped and prayed she would be able to raise her child in a place that understood the value of being part of a community.

“We live in a time where technology — tablets and cellular telephones — has become the primary babysitter for children,” Freeman added.

“We need to have a place and the opportunities to be able to get children and families outdoors to interact and enjoy the surroundings where they live.”

To this end, Dupont and Freeman have organized “Franklin Countians for Progress,” a group that will seek to spearhead efforts to develop recreational venues and activities to engage communities and promote health.

“None of this is going to be easy and a lot of sweat and hard work will be required to have success,” Dupont said.

The mission of Franklin Countians for Progress will be to seek financial resources that will assist with the implementation of activities and the development of infrastructure to support the group’s goals.

At present, the fledgling initiative is working to recruit letters of support from residents and community leaders to show local sentiments for the effort in seeking grants and other sources of capital.

In addition, Dupont and Freeman are looking at seeking non-profit status for FCFP, which would allow the group to eventually accept tax-deductible donations to meet long-term goals to build this kind of recreational facility.

“Right now, things are just getting off the ground and we’re only asking for letters of support to show that people are behind this,” Freeman continued.

“The idea is to take this one step at a time to make sure we have the community willing to say they believe in this before moving forward.”

Dupont and Freeman concede that taxpayer resources to develop a Franklin County recreational venue are limited, and local governments will be partners in the initiative with citizens leading the charge to make it happen.

“The desire is for people to have a sense of ownership and pride in this place with the finished product belonging to them and for their enjoyment for years to come,” Dupont noted.

She also pointed out the group not leave any stone unturned in seeking financial support — through the public and private sectors along with grants and memorial gifts — once FCFP is at the point when it will begin the process of seeking dollars.

Freeman said she envisions a spacious place that could host things as simple as birthday parties and family reunions or as involved as local festivals and a farmers’ market.

“With so many things going on in the world now, wouldn’t it be nice to have a place close to home that celebrates a thriving, loving community where it’s safe to spend time, relax or play?” she asked.

The duo encouraged people who want to write letters of support or who might have questions about the work of Franklin Countians for Progress to visit the group’s Facebook page, send an email to fcprogress23@gmail.com or call 769-244-4600.