Wildwood's First-Ever Cash Donation to Nonprofit to go to Pond Athletic Association

An ordinance to allocate a $25,000 donation to the Pond Athletic Association (PAA) was introduced at Monday night's Wildwood city council meeting. The money would come from the city's Parks and Recreation Department as a special project to contribute toward the entity's 50th anniversary this year.

Wildwood Director of Planning and Parks Joe Vujnich said it is the first time city representatives would be donating a cash sum directly to a nonprofit group. "Council members wanted to be part of the anniversary observation," he said.

City council members will vote on the ordinance for the second time on April 22 to finalize the allocation, although Mayor Tim Woerther noted at Monday's council meeting they still were waiting for a documented list of items for which the donation would be applied.

Vujnich said the sponsorship dollars were to be attached to "public benefits," such as PAA fees being waived or offered at reduced-prices for Wildwood youths.

According to the proposed ordinance language, the city may be providing to PAA support services, such as police, sanitation, waste removal and transportation. Vujnich clarified for Patch these city services would be limited to any special event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the facility, such as a planned gala.

The ordinance also states PAA agrees to provide naming rights to Wildwood for certain facilities, to use the city's logo on a major field structure, and to include Wildwood when citing sponsors of this milestone year.

Vujnich also said the donation is being done in the spirit of facilitating Wildwood's ability to provide ball fields without the city having and maintaining fields of its own. He said the concept stems back to the city's intent plan, master plan and 2007 Parks and Recreation Action Plan.

The Wildwood-based PAA, located at 1725 Pond Rd., has operated for the youth of West St. Louis County since 1963. When it was founded, it included one field and a couple of rolls of chicken wire. Today, the park has seven fields. It is managed by a group of volunteer board of directors.

PAA representatives have sought community assistance to increase public awareness of the program during this special year. Some other sponsors of the association listed on the group's website include Dick's Sporting Goods, Cardinal Glennon Sports Care, West County Auto Body & Repair, Sports Authority, Alizadeh & Schreiner Orthodontics and Conventry Health Care.