Now that the Badlands Community Facility’s expected completion date has been pushed back to mid-November, the multi-sport complex’s fundraising organizers say they plan to reveal their achievements with the opening.
Leaders of the campaign have financially committed, with all of town council, the BCF Steering Committee members, and Campaign Cabinet members making contributions, the release says.
They still do not wish to release the dollar amount raised so far, under direction of Nine Lions Development Consulting, the revenue development firm who was contracted for $270,000 to guide the fundraising campaign.
The release says council is aware of their achievements so far and is respecting the organizer’s wishes to announce the amount this fall.
“To undermine it would seem ridiculous. To pay that much money and then go out and deviate from what they’re saying would undermine the whole process,” says Mayor Terry Yemen, adding these fundraising projects usually start much before the project takes off, but the town had to deal with the plebiscite during that time.
“It’s part of their strategy – they release it on their timeline and we have to respect that and yield to the experts. "We accepted it in council, we all put our hand up and said this is the best way to go. Now we just have to respect the process.”
Before they go into a public domain they want to make sure they have a bunch of names with philanthropists, people who don’t want their name out there, and big business. There will be a time when the public is made aware of it but it’s all part of the process.
Fundraising chair Jeff Hall said the numbers will be coming eventually.
“If they’re saying mid-November now, that’s what we’re looking at from our standpoint” says Hall.
“We’re trying to commit ourselves with better communication with the town and with the public.”