Cari Fraser: Coming full-circle with the carousel

Cari Fraser, president of the Coeur d’Alene Carousel Foundation, has been working with others for five years to bring the old Playland Pier carousel back to life in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

Construction is now underway near Memorial Field, where the carousel will be reassembled in a new location not far from its original Lake City home.

The carousel first opened in the summer of 1942 on the beach in Coeur d’Alene and operated for about 30 years. According to the Coeur d’Alene Carousel Foundation’s website, it was dismantled and “disappeared in the mid-’70s to destinations unknown.”

The carousel resurfaced at an auction in Puyallup, Wash., in 1987 and a collector with Coeur d’Alene ties purchased it.

Then in 2010, Coeur d’Alene newcomers John and Pat Foote purchased the carousel as a gift to the people of Coeur d’Alene.

The nonprofit foundation was formed to receive the gift.

“We had to maintain the integrity of that gift. No taxpayer money was to go into it,” Fraser said.

It is, and will continue to be, funded through private donations. The group will pay the city rent of $100 per year for the space where the carousel will sit.

When carousel supporters met with city leaders early on, they were told the project that would transform Memorial Field and make space for the carousel would not take place for at least 10 years.

The group considered several other options as a new home for the carousel, but the cost and work required was too daunting, Fraser said. The uncertainty placed them in a holding pattern for a while.

Then in June 2015, they got a call from the city’s recreation director, Steve Anthony. He told them Bud Ford had pledged a major donation to the project, and the group accelerated its fundraising efforts.

At the same time, plans were made for the work to begin at Memorial Field several years earlier than anticipated.

“This week we should be receiving a check for $200,000 from Bud, since we actually broke ground, and we have enough money now to create the endowment the city is requiring and for our building expenses,” Fraser said.

The carousel’s construction is expected to be complete sometime this summer.

For Fraser, a Coeur d’Alene native with deep roots, returning the carousel to service is about making the hometown she loves a better place for generations to come.

Ironically, having grown up in the ’80s when Coeur d’Alene was not the place it is today, Fraser never intended to return to the Lake City after college. She went to live in Japan for two years and taught English.

When she did return to Coeur d’Alene, she found that with the emergence of The Coeur d’Alene Resort, the city had changed.

“And I had changed through my experiences,” Fraser said.

She met her husband, Scott, at The Resort, and they have made the area their home for most of their nearly 24-year marriage.

“For me, it (the carousel effort) is just being part of something, part of a legacy. It’s part of creating hopes and dreams, and if I can do it anyone can do it,” Fraser said.

But she’s also quick to acknowledge she is just one of several people who have worked hard to make the carousel’s return a reality, and she doesn’t want credit for it.

Fraser said she’s a firm believer that if you have something to complain about, you’re better off doing something to change it.

“That’s what I try to instill in my kids. Don’t just sit back and watch things happen. You have to take an active role in the lives of people around you,” she said. “With the carousel, I’ve come full-circle.”

Does your philosophy that it’s better to take action than gripe about things tie in with your work with the Carousel Foundation?

It does. I’m not necessarily a huge fan of carousels. That’s not my passion. My passion is trying to make things better. On our website there is a picture of me at 18 months old on the carousel with my mom. What a great gift to bring back to the people. We’ve got a lot of new, now let’s bring back some of the old. Now, down at Memorial Field, it’s the heart and heritage of Coeur d’Alene.

How did you come to be involved with the Carousel Foundation?

I was part of Leadership Coeur d’Alene in 2009 and on the first trip, Robert Singletary was leading our bus and talking about the history of Coeur d’Alene and the carousel. He said, ‘We know it’s out there somewhere. Wouldn’t it be great to bring it back to Coeur d’Alene?’

Fast-forward to 2010, there was an article in the paper with Richard LeFrancis and the carousel... Richard happened to be a client at the bank where I worked and he was talking about it, and I said, ‘Oh my gosh, if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.’ Little did I know, he would resign from the board that following November and I would be named president and have been working toward finding a home for the carousel that long.

Is the return of the carousel coming together the way you envisioned? Did you imagine it would one day serve as the gateway to the city?

Honestly, that was our hope when we met with the city for the first time. Our vision has always been, as close to the original as possible. They say for carousels to be successful they need to be near a park, near water and near high-traffic areas. So, honestly, this is the best spot. Some people still say, ‘Put it on that knoll in McEuen (Park),’ but then you have to know that’s where you’re going. If you see it as you drive into Coeur d’Alene... you’ll see that carousel building, and have the kids all around and the families. It really is coming together as our vision, making the dream a reality.

I’m almost breathless at this point, because it’s happened so fast... More and more people are coming out of the woodwork who want to be involved or support us in some way.

Do you think the way things are set up, that it is a gift that does not involve taxpayer money, is attracting supporters?

It is a gift, and it’s not about politics. It’s not about whose side you’re on. It’s not about anything other than bringing the community together.

Will there be ongoing challenges?

We have been over to visit the new carousel in Kennewick, Wash., and their rider numbers have been exceeding their expectations. So as far as ongoing funding, it’s going to be about training the volunteers or staff.

What happens to the foundation now?

We will charge for rides, but through the foundation, we really want to make sure that no child will be denied a ride for any reason. That’s the longterm goal of the foundation, to be successful enough to continue to give back.

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For more information or to find out how to support the carousel foundation, visit www.cdacarousel.com.