Anonymous $150K donation for Rec Complex

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer

NAPLES — Knocked it out of the ballpark.

The Friends of the Naples Recreation Complex (FNRC) scored a big win on Monday night when a local anonymous donor gifted $150,000 to put a kitchen and snack bar in the future facility.

FNRC member Jim Grattelo was ecstatic as he announced the update.

“About 10 minutes ago, we received the best news we have had for this campaign. A family in town has been watching this since it began. They’ve been concerned about the fact that the rec center doesn’t have a kitchen. We got a $150,000 anonymous donation to build out the kitchen,” he said on Monday evening.

Grattelo shared the timely news during public participation time at the Naples Select Board meeting.

A kitchen and snack bar will be located in the front stick-built structure that will be attached to the pre-fab butler building. The pre-fab building will stay the same size, but the footprint of the front building will increase.

Putting in the kitchen will expand the size of the front building from 96-X-30 feet to 110-X36 feet. Therefore, an extra cost will be incurred for redoing the engineer’s sketch and for building materials.

But the cost is covered, Grattelo stressed.

“To accommodate the kitchen and snack bar, that footage will cost $95,000. The anonymous donor is paying that for the additional footage and also paying another $55,000 for kitchen equipment,” Grattelo explained. “That’s a total donation of $150,000 to make sure the rec center has kitchen, snack bar and all the kitchen equipment.”

Grattelo commented that he was getting emotional over the generosity of those people in the community.

“I would say to naysayers in the Town of Naples. And, there is maybe 30 or 40 of them.

This project is off and running. We are going to hit every benchmark we’ve set,” Grattelo said.

FNRC Co-chair Craig Shaknis was also on hand to provide other fundraising updates.

“Last time I spoke to you, which was about two weeks ago, the fundraising amount was at $150,000. Now, it’s up to $215,000. We raised $65,000 in two weeks,” Shaknis said.

His update was met with applause. To spread the word, a large message board has been erected at the edge of the Village Green, facing drivers on Route 302 and announcing the amount raised for the campaign.

In addition to thanking the members of Friends of the Naples Rec Complex, Shaknis gave “a shoutout to the local business and organizations that have helped us.”

As of June 8, the businesses that have donated are: Chalmers Insurance, Clement Bros Lawn & Landscape, Evergreen Subaru, Great Northern Docks, Hall Implement Co., Lake Region Electric Cooperative, Maine Lightning Basketball, Naples Home Slice, Naples Lions Club, Norway Savings Bank, Portland Sports Complex, Randy’s Wooster Pizza, Sebagel, Stone Surface and Q-Team Tree Service.

Additionally, Camp Skylemar, Camp Takajo and Camp Mataponi have contributed to the fundraising.

Three residential summer camps located in Naples — Camp Skylemar, Mataponi and Takajo — have made a combined pledge of $25,000 toward building the Naples Recreation Complex.

Although the three camps will not be utilizing the building, Jeff Konigsburg, owner of Camp Takajo, said, “We are honored to contribute to a facility that will provide the Naples community a place to play and congregate.”

Dan Isdaner, owner of Camp Mataponi, agreed.

“Naples has always been a special place for our camps and our families. Supporting this new recreational building is our way of giving back to a community that has given us so much over the years,” Isdaner said.

The co-owner of Camp Skylemar, Arleen Shepherd also serves on the Rec Complex Building Committee.

“Camps Skylemar, Mataponi and Takajo know quite a bit about the importance of building community and providing space for recreation and learning,” she said. “We love Naples and are confident that the Rec Center will be a fantastic addition to the town. We know our contribution will have an important impact. We hope it will encourage other businesses to contribute as well.”

The committee has been meeting weekly for plan development ever since voters approved the project.

Grattelo also reported on the status of putting portions of the project out to bid “Next week, we will have the bids go out for site work for the main building and the foundation,” he said.

“We are working with Hancock Lumber to get estimates for materials for the front building,” he said. “The only thing left is HVAC, electrical and plumbing. Those bids will be sent out later.”

The Naples Rec Center will be located next to Plummer Field on Route 11. Details on the project are available on the website naplesrec.com