Carousel: Reaching for the brass ring
The Coeur d'Alene Carousel Foundation, a local nonprofit, owns the hand-carved 1922 Spillman Jr., 20-horse carousel, originally located at Coeur d'Alene's Playland Pier amusement park (modern day Independence Point).
This jewel, which adorned the Pier for over 30 years, was purchased and gifted to the foundation by John and Pat Foote in 2011. Fully restored and ready for setup, it may be the only carousel to have left its original home and come back decades later fully intact. The Foundation has been charged with serving as guardian to the carousel, as well as finding the perfect Coeur d'Alene location to reconstruct this historic gem. Among the Foundation's goals is to place it near its original home.
The Foundation has been part of the "Four Corners" discussion for years, and throughout the evolution of the master plan, the carousel has been invited to participate as a key component. Guidelines set by the National Carousel Foundation recommend placement of such an attraction should consider visibility and ease of access, as well as proximity to water, parking and restrooms. Memorial Field has been identified as an ideal backdrop, as it meets these guidelines, with the added advantage of the historic wood grandstand, creating an iconic combination. While the final Four Corners master plan is not yet finalized, virtually all of the suggested site design locations afford several ideal options for our beautiful carousel.
A local benefactor has stepped forward and offered the foundation a generous contribution in matching funds toward a new building and operating costs! The benefactor has set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2016, to raise funds for the matching donation. Once the site for the carousel is finalized, major fundraising can begin, ensuring this generous pledge!
The City Council will be presented with the Four Corners final master plan at an upcoming meeting. We hope the public will attend the city council meeting and give us their support.
John Foote passed away before his dream of seeing the carousel operating in a permanent home could come true. It is time to honor the Footes' enormous generosity of this $250,000 gift to our community, by making sure that dream becomes reality. We are anxious to begin major fundraising so the community can once again ride the Playland Pier Carousel. For those of us who remember riding it, it has a special place in our hearts. We are eager to share it!
Donations can be sent to Coeur d'Alene Carousel Foundation, PO Box 170 Coeur d'Alene, Id 83816. Donations are tax deductible and will be matched dollar for dollar until Jan. 1, 2016. Like us on Facebook, visit our website at cdacarousel.org.