Sheets Family Park coming soon

Ground was officially broken Tuesday on the much anticipated Sheets Family Park.

The park is a collaboration between the city of Angola and the YMCA of Steuben County, and will sit adjacent to the YMCA facilities. It will contain a host of new amenities, including an accessible playground, a splash pad, pickleball courts, a pavilion, and a community gathering space. Once completed, the park will be completely free to use and will be maintained by the Angola Parks and Recreation Department.

“Sheets Family Park has been designed with everyone in mind,” said Carmyn Hottell, Director of Community Engagement & Leadership at the Steuben County Community Foundation. “It’s a place where kids, families and individuals of all abilities and backgrounds can come together to play and feel a true sense of belonging with one another.”

The project’s progress dashboard on the Steuben County Community Foundation’s website says the total cost for the park sits at just over $6 million, of which $4.5 million has been raised so far.

Officials expressed confidence that the remainder of the funds can be raised by the end of this year. Earth work on the site has already begun. Angola’s JICI Construction is the general contractor.

This new park will be located on the east side of the YMCA campus and will feature an inclusive playground, a splash pad, pickleball courts, a pavilion and a community gathering space. It sits on a little more than 4 acres.

More than 50 supporters helped raise that amount, from smaller individual donations to larger amounts given by entities such as the Dekko Foundation and First Federal Savings Bank of Angola.

Steuben County and Angola government were early financial supporters of the project.

The original price tag attached to the park, as reported by The Herald Republican in March 2022, was $2.5 million. Just a few months later, in June of that year, it jumped to $3.7 million. A full year later, in June of 2023, the number became $5 million, and the price has continued to climb from there.

The groundbreaking was attended by Angola Mayor Dave Martin, President and CEO of the Steuben County Community Foundation Jennifer Danic, Steuben County Commissioner Andy Laughlin, plus representatives from the YMCA, Trine University, and Cameron Memorial Community Hospital. Both the university and hospital are platinum level donors, each giving a sizable amount in support of the park.

Key Collaborating Organizations: (from left) Trine University, Steuben County Community Foundation, YMCA of Steuben County, City of Angola, Steuben County Government, and Cameron Memorial Community Hospital. 

”The whole project has been just like this crowd,” said Martin. “Huge turnout, huge interest, positive feedback. It’s been great.”

All speakers at the groundbreaking took time to emphasize the inclusivity of the park, an important value that has been central to the idea since its inception. The stated goal of the park is promoting social cohesion, outdoor recreation and both physical and mental well-being for citizens of all ages. It will be available to people of all abilities.

The park was one of the many visions for the community held by the late Charles “Chuck” Sheets, who gave the land for the park to the YMCA, hence the name.

All of the land on the YMCA campus was originally owned by Chuck and the late Ruth Ann Sheets.

While many people had hoped that Mr. Sheets would live long enough to see the day that the park was open and serving all, it has finally come to pass.

The park, while on land adjacent to the YMCA, will actually be a part of the Angola Parks and Recreation Department. It will be free to all to use.

The Steuben County Community Foundation, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses to support the causes they are passionate about through our philanthropic services, strategic investments, and community leadership. With $55 million in assets, our mission is to bridge the gap between those who care and the needs of our community. We strive to enhance the quality of life by evaluating, supporting, and coordinating philanthropic giving and endowment building. Our vision is to lead the community in these efforts. To learn more about our work, please visit our website at www.steubenfoundation.org.