January 10, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
Tennessee State Parks, including DeKalb County’s Edgar Evins State Park, are accepting donations throughout the month of January for the annual My TN State Park fundraiser, which helps local parks fill specific needs.
(Click link below to donate)
https://tnstateparks.com/events/details/#/?event=my-tn-state-park-ee-22
State Park enthusiasts can vote for their favorite state park by making contributions to their favorite, with each dollar donated counting as one vote for that park.
The funds will go toward projects identified by park staff as an ideal use of the funds, including trail repair, birds of prey programs and childhood education activity.
“At Edgar Evins State Park, if we can raise at least $1,000 we plan to work on our butterfly corridor,” said Park Manager Brad Halfacre. “You’ll notice as you enter the park, we have planted some native wildflowers and grasses on the steep hillsides, and we will put some signage up about that. If we can raise as much as $2,500, we will do some work and signage on the Dunham Cemetery trail and gravesites. If we raise up to $5,000, we will do some work to our aviary putting in some signage about the birds of prey and wingspans. Children love those wingspan signs where they can measure their wingspan with the birds of prey we have onsite. These are ways we have thought of to spend the donation money we raise. Of course, we accept donations all the time here at the park but for this month only we will be seeking donations just for this fundraiser. We have signs throughout the park with QR codes so that when you visit the park, climb the tower, or come by the office or gift shop, you can access that QR code and your donation goes directly to this challenge,” said Halfacre.
“We know many Tennesseans feel a connection to their state parks, and this is a way for them to feel even more involved with their favorite park,” said Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “Our parks enjoy wonderful support, and we are always eager to improve the park experience for our visitors. This competition helps make that happen.”
Those interested in voting for their favorite parks may donate at the Tennessee State Parks website. Signs about the fundraiser are up at every park.
The format has the 56 state parks categorized in three separate groups based on park visitation numbers. One group is for parks with up to 350,000 visitors annually, another for parks with 350,000-750,000 visitors, and a group for parks with over 750,000 visitors. The parks compete against the other parks in their category with the winning park in each group awarded a plaque featuring the names of its donors. Lists of the groups are online.
Tennessee is one of only seven states in the country to provide free access to its state parks. The fundraising competition provides a way for individuals or communities to get involved further. Last year, the first year of the contest, donors gave over $96,000 to the parks on nearly 3,000 contributions. Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville won the first competition with $14,287 in contributions from over 200 donors. Full results from last year are available online.
Each park will receive 100 percent of the funds donated for it. Funds from last year’s competition went toward items such as pollinator gardens, security cameras, an outdoor fitness station and equipment and clothing for a living history program.
The My TN State Park fundraiser sprang from the surge of visitors to Tennessee State Parks at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a way to show support for the park that “kept them going” in 2020.
This year’s voting will continue until Jan. 31 at 11:59 p.m.