Robbinsdale’s ‘Fun Fund’ Provides Financial Relief for Recreation Programs
In an effort to ensure that every member of the community can partake in recreational activities, the city of Robbinsdale has introduced an inclusive and innovative program called the Fun Fund.
The Fun Fund was created to alleviate the financial burden on low-income families by covering a portion of the registration fees for participation in Parks and Recreation classes.
“We had some commissioners that wanted to donate money to kind of offset fees for program registrations so we created the Fun Fund ,” said Ryan Parks, Recreation Services Manager, Robbinsdale. “This is really open to anyone and it’s on an honor system, so if you request that you want 50 percent off of a program registration fee because you need it then we’ll honor that.”
Although the response from the community has been positive, there appears to be a lower demand for the Fun Fund than initially anticipated.
Overcoming Hesitations to Apply for Fun Fund Assistance
“We’re not getting a lot of requests, so we encourage people to request these funds for their registration fees, especially if they need it,” Parks emphasized.
Parks credited the Robbinsdale Parks Recreation Forestry Commission for their role in bringing the Fun Fund to life.
“They’re the ones who really started this conversation like, ‘Hey, we want to donate money, how could we do that?’ So, we set this up, and you know, it’s been great. We’ve had people donate to it, and it’s awesome. It seems like people in this community like to give back,” said Parks.
For those who want to contribute to the Fun Fund, or for those in need of financial assistance for registration fees, visit Robbinsdale’s Parks and Recreation website for information on how to take part.
