Kinsmen Club Donates $25,000 Towards New Zoo Train; New Bell Purchased From Community Funding
/The Riverview Park & Zoo is one step closer to getting a new train for next year as the Kinsmen Club Of Peterborough donated $25,000 on Wednesday morning.
The Kinsmen Club has been a partner in the Park and Zoo since the organization’s beginning. Photo By Luke Best.
“When we heard about their campaign to replace the train ride, we knew it was a great fit for our club to get on board,” said Barry Craft, Kinsmen Club president. “Our membership support was unanimous for this project as we feel that Riverview Park and Zoo brings tremendous value to our community.”
“The community support groups have come out in a big way,” Jim Moloney, zoo manager and curator. “We've already started to see a good groundswell of support from individual community members but we're really depending upon that to take us the rest of the way.”
The train will cost $350,000 and 60 per cent of funding has already been achieved through community donations and Kiwanis snack bar profits.
The original bell was stolen overnight and reported to the public on April 30. Photo by Luke Best.
The zoo acquired a new bell after a community member found one online from a store in North Bay last month. The zoo purchased the bell and took roughly two weeks for its arrival.
It will be on the current train after a mount has been built for it. The bell will hopefully be outfitted for the new train next year according to Maloney.
The original bell was reported stolen overnight and was publically announced that it was missing on the morning of April 30.
Roughly $5,100 was raised for the bell’s replacement but cost $2,600 according to Cathy Mitchell, zoo program supervisor. The surplus will go towards the funding of the new train.
