$20,000 goal to receive a 2:1 matching grant through DHCD’s Better Places Program
Vermont Business Magazine Vershire residents will soon be able to enjoy an outdoor pavilion thoughtfully incorporated into the already established public facilities and grounds of Vershire’s Town Center thanks to a crowdfunding campaign recently launched on January 19th. The campaign is sponsored by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development’s Better Places program and led by the Town of Vershire and the Vershire Town Center Committee, with collaborative partnerships with VerShare, Vershire Recreation Committee, and TimberHomes Vermont.
“Access to community gathering places is essential to the health, well-being, and prosperity of every family and every community,” said Department of Housing and Community Development Commissioner Josh Hanford. “The Vershire Town Center Pavilion will create more outdoor opportunities for families and communities to meet with each other and build connections.”
If the campaign reaches its $20,000 goal by March 20th the “Vershire Town Center Pavilion” will receive a matching grant of $40,000 from DHCD’s Better Places program.
Click HERE for project details and to donate.
The funds raised will go to the development and construction of a 30’x 42’ timber frame pavilion behind the Vershire Town Center building. An outdoor pavilion in this location will provide convenient access to municipal recreational fields, VerShare’s Church-Orr House, the Town Offices, the Vershire Town Center building and the Historical Society, in addition to the playground, skating rink, and pizza oven. It is also the site where many public events are held throughout the year, including: February’s Snowshoe-A-Thon, Town Meeting Day (March 7th), the May Book and Plant Sale, Vershire Day (July), VerShare’s Summer Camp (August), the Fall Festival (October), the Holiday Fair (December), plus the weekly VerShare Food Self, town potlucks, town committee meetings, food trucks, private parties, and monthly recreational events for children and families. The pavilion would make community events more accessible, easier to plan, and less weather contingent. Through the efforts of TimberHomes Vermont (THVT) and other local contractors, the Town of Vershire, VerShare, the Recreation Committee, and the volunteer Vershire Town Center Committee the vision is to create a public outdoor space that will become a fixture for future community gatherings and events.
“Vershire, with its unique free Summer Camp, thriving Recreation Committee and full slate of community events year-round, has become a magnet for families and retirees alike,” said David Hooke, Vershire Moderator and THVT Co-Founder. “The planned Pavilion at the Town Center will facilitate all of these existing programs and open a whole range of new opportunities for people to connect. TimberHomes Vermont was started in Vershire and has built timber-framed structures throughout the Northeastern U.S.; we are honored to have been chosen for this bold new town initiative.”
A schedule of fundraising events will take place during the 60-day campaign:
- Kick-off event: Ice skating, bonfire, and spaghetti dinner- Saturday, January 21 3pm-6pm (Vershire Town Ice Rink)
- Sign-up for the February 18th Snowshoe-a-thon at www.vershare.org. Proceeds from VerShare's 26th annual Snowshoe-a-Thon will go first to help reach the $20,000 goal for the Pavilion project; proceeds in excess will go to support VerShare’s Community Summer camp and other programming, as in the past.
- Town Meeting Day on March 7th
“I am organizing this project, because I believe in community and in Vershire,” said campaign manager and Vershire resident, Reva Seybolt. “After some exploration of possible projects that the town could use, it was clear that a pavilion would bring folks together to raise the funds, the structure itself, and it would be a gathering place to enjoy for years to come.”
Residents, businesses, and neighbors ready to support vibrant public places, community gathering areas, and local opportunities are encouraged to get involved and support the Vershire Town Pavilion Project. Learn more and donate here. Donations can also be received between January 18th and March 19th at Vershire Town Hall, by writing a tax-deductible check to the Town of Vershire or to VerShare, with the memo “Pavilion”.
About Better Places
Better Places is a community matching grant program empowering Vermonters to create inclusive and vibrant public places serving Vermont’s designated downtowns, village centers, new town centers, or neighborhood development areas. The program is led by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development in partnership with the Vermont Department of Health, the Vermont Community Foundation, and Patronicity, our crowdfunding experts. The program supports community-led projects that create, revitalize, or activate community gathering areas that bring people together to build welcoming and thriving places across Vermont.
1.19.2023. Vershire, Vt. – Department of Housing and Community Development
