PRESS RELEASE

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Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway Group Contributes to the Preservation of Caponi Art Park

Eagan, Minnesota--On Thursday evening, September 30th, Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway representative, Jack Conrad, presented Caponi Art Park Board president, Cary Felbab, with a check for $3,000 earmarked for the new Caponi Art Park Preservation Fund (see photos). The donation marked the end of a three-month community outreach campaign conducted by the Friends group to both educate the surrounding community about the value of the Art Park and to encourage various forms of financial support.

The collaborative campaign between Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway and Caponi Art Park began at Eagan's 4th of July parade when "Friends" distributed 1,500 fliers published jointly by the two groups. The fliers described the importance of the Eagan Core Greenway and the central role that the Caponi Art Park plays within the greenway. See www.EaganCoreGreenway.org/FOECG_activities.html

At various time over the course of the last three months, members of the Friends group canvassed neighborhoods nearest the Art Park, distributing the fliers and stressing the value of support for the Art Park Acquisition campaign. The Art Park Board has already secured approximately 80% of the funding required for transfer of the Art Park to the City of Eagan and the Art Park Board. But today's funding application processes are highly competitive, and any significant displays of community support for such a project can distinguish it from others. This was the objective of the Friends' campaign.

By the end of the campaign, well over 100 local families demonstrated that the Park was so precious to them that they were willing to reach into their pockets and make a financial donation to the Park and the Acquisition Fund. Special recognition goes to Susan and Sammy Gauer, Dana O'Halloran, Jack and Kara Conrad, John Ward and David Brunet for their roles in Friends' successful neighborhood outreach effort.

It is the hope of "Friends" that this tremendous display of community support will help the Art Park Board secure that last remaining piece, targetted for completion during the first half of 2005.

The donation will also serve to kick off the Board's own Capital Campaign, designed to tap regional resources to complete the funding needs of the acquisition of the Art Park and its transfer to the City of Eagan.

For more information on these topics, individuals may examine: www.EaganCoreGreenway.org.