The Amish do it in groups.

With so many Wisconsin citizens from different walks of life rallying around common causes in the past few weeks, I’ve started thinking about “local causes o‘ the past” (for lack of a better phrase). This is something we’ve talked about at the office before – community projects inspired, planned, and executed by Chippewa Valley residents  that were ultimately successful, or at the very least, actually happened. Like what, you ask? Hmmmm ...

About a decade ago, when the City of Eau Claire was ready to tear down the old (and awesome) suspension bridge near Boyd Park (running from the park, across the Eau Claire River, over to Banbury Place),  people from the surrounding neighborhood got together and pushed the city to build a new bridge, keeping the neighborhood connected to the other side of the river and the Chippewa River State bike trail. That group of people was the Eastside Hill Neighborhood Association and they were successful – a new footbridge replaced the old one. Now, I’m sure a lot of factors were at play as it’s no small feat to build a whole bridge, even a footbridge. But it would not have happened without people connecting for a common need or desire. People wanted a safe way to cross the river on bike and foot while preserving a local and historical fixture of practical and sentimental importance.

 

For the people.

The most dramatic example (that I can think of as I write this, anyway) is our own Eau Claire Regional Arts Center (i.e., The State Theatre). Have you ever wondered where that thing came from, why we have it? It wasn’t the city’s idea. ECRAC’s website says it best:

In 1984 the [State Theatre building] was donated to a group of arts-minded community members called the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council. The Theatre was donated to them on the condition they restore the Theatre and transform it into a center for artistic expression. The old structure was in need of major repairs and became the focus of a community capital campaign. Area individuals, corporations, foundations, and other organizations funded the refurbished 1,117 seat Theatre and adjacent offices. The newly renovated State Theatre reopened its doors in 1986.

[Currently,] the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council is a nonprofit organization that owns and operates the State Theatre complex.

So, basically, a bunch of people got together and worked really hard to make something huge and  terrific happen for the whole community. Can you think of other examples o‘ the past? Can you think of examples where this kind of action is needed right now? Or maybe there are groups out there struggling to get their projects off the ground. Just curious.