Performance Pavilion Capital Campaign Kicks Off With Multiple Events in 2020

The WRF and the City of Wyoming are working to provide a space that welcomes the arts, culture, entertainment, and community gatherings within the heart of the Village of Wyoming for generations to come.
(site plan with notes where donors will be recognized)

By Cynthia Smith

With a winner selected in the Village Green Performance Pavilion Design Contest in August, the Wyoming Recreation Foundation (WRF) is now in the midst of a capital campaign to fund the structure’s construction.

The landscape architecture firm Human Nature, which led the design of Washington Park, Ziegler Park, and Lytle Park, won the contest. Other entrants the WRF would like to thank include Debby Martin, Jeb Brack, and Kendall Eyman.

Human Nature’s Ryan Geismar, a Wyoming resident who lives on Laurence Road, will spearhead the project, with help from Wyoming-based Sally L. Noble Architect, LLC. Ryan and Sally have a history of collaboration.

“The Village Green has been studied and evaluated for many years,” explained Lynn Tetley, Wyoming City Manager. “The proposed pavilion design brings all of this planning together into what will become a focal point for programming in our community. The gazebo is a well-recognized and important feature of the community, and as such, will be relocated to the south lawn of the Wyoming Civic Center.”

Kick-Off Event
On January 29, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Civic Center, the WRF launched the pavilion’s capital campaign. The event included a cash bar and complimentary hors d’oeurves reception and information was provided about transforming the Wyoming City Center. Ryan spoke to guests and the WRF and City of Wyoming officials discussed the future of Wyoming, along with opportunities to support the pavilion’s construction.

Since pavilion planning began, construction costs have risen, so the budget for the pavilion has been changed from $150,000 to $300,000. As of this writing, $80,000 had privately been raised; the City has allocated $50,000 from the capital improvement budget in 2020.

The Wyoming Recreation Foundation
The pavilion is being funded through the WRF as an alternative to adding to residents’ tax burden. The WRF’s slogan is: “Together we are building community through the use of purposeful programming provided in our Parks and Recreation spaces.” Their core initiatives include Diversity and Inclusion, The Arts, Sustainability Education, Health and Wellness, Small Business Development, and Regional Development.

“The City and the WRF are working to help Wyoming move forward in these areas while honoring our historic traditions,” explained WRF Fundraising Chair Monica Tuck.

This is the site plan for the new Wyoming Performance Pavilion. 

A few events already planned for 2020 that address the WRF’s core initiatives include:
•  Taste the Love, World Food + Music Festival: (Diversity and Inclusion, The Arts, Small Business Development, and Regional Development)
•  Live on the Green, formerly Groovin’ on the Green: (Diversity and Inclusion, The Arts, Sustainability Education, Small Business Development, and Regional Development)
•  Fire Up the Pike, Food + Music Festival: (Diversity and Inclusion, The Arts, Small Business Development, and Regional Development)
•  Fitness on the Green:  a series of free fitness classes focusing on Health and Wellness
These and other events will include sustainability education such as reusable cups and a water refill station. The pavilion design includes potential sustainability demonstrations such as rain chains, a green roof, rainwater capture or conveyance, and photovoltaic panels.

Help Build the Pavilion
The WRF’s goal is to have the pavilion built by the end of 2020. Here are some ways you can help bring the vision to life:

1.  Join the WRF’s Capital Campaign Committee
2.  Help as a fundraising volunteer
3.  Contribute as a Presenting Sponsor ($100,000), a Title Sponsor ($25,000), a Premier Sponsor ($10,000), an Achievement Sponsor ($5,000), a Legacy Sponsor ($1,000), or a Community Sponsor ($500). Each sponsorship level includes permanent recognition at the site

For details, visit wyomingohio.gov/wyoming-recreation-foundation/ or contact Monica Tuck at mtuck@wyomingohio.gov or 513.256.4338.