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Supporting the Park with Dollars & Grit

Accomplishments 

Learn how Friends funding helps Devil’s Lake State Park create a successful experience for visitors and staff.

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How Friends Dollars Support Devil’s Lake

Over the years, Friends members and volunteers have contributed to many valuable efforts, including events, staffing, facilities repairs, and capital improvement projects. Some of the more regular contributions include monies toward:

  • Hosting special events, such as the Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest, Torchlit Hikes, and Music in the Park

  • Planting and mulching trees

  • Maintaining trails

  • Staffing supplemental help in the Nature Center and Visitor Center

  • Supporting nature center programming

  • Campground and picnic area enhancements

  • Accessibility upgrades and improvements

Repairs and Capital Improvements

Many members want to get a firm idea of where Friends dollars go to help and support Devil’s Lake State Park. The below chart details specific purchases and efforts from the Heritage Funds from 2015 - 2023, which is just one way in which we support the Park. The chart illustrates a typical mix of repairs, improvements, and Park staff benefits Friends money goes toward in a given year.

For more detail, see the compilation of Friends donations from 1997 - 2023.

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Year & Donations

Examples of improvement & repair projects funded by Friends donations.

2023
$32,200

  • Park Events and Programming Hosted by Friends and Park’s Nature Center

  • Marketing: Social Media and Website Updates

  • Assist with Park Operations and Maintenance Costs

2022
$5,300

  • Interpretive Signage

  • Park Events

  • Miscellaneous Park Expenses

2018
$11,600

  • Scenic viewer repairs

  • Chamber of Commerce memberships

  • Bathroom improvements to Headquarters and Rock Elm Shelter buildings

  • Replace picnic table boards

  • Employee & Volunteer of the Year plaques

  • Maintenance tools

  • Campground host campsite improvements

2017
$8,450

  • Employee & Volunteer of the Year plaques

  • Employee summer picnic

  • Purchase staff radios

  • Purchase additional picnic grills

  • Install bathroom privacy screens

  • Spading trees

  • Replace tables and chairs in Red Oak shelter

2016
$13,600

  • Employee & Volunteer of the Year plaques

  • Annual meeting for Friends, Park staff and Concession Corporation

  • Carpet cleaning

  • Tree spading

  • Internship funding

  • Purchase emergency phone

  • Purchase lake buoys

  • Replace public bathroom lights on Headquarters building

  • Improvements to campground host campsite

2015
$10,780

  • Repair and parts for UTV, mower, and other small engine projects

  • Pesticides to protect Park trees against Emerald Ash Borer pesticide

  • Snowshoes to loan to Park visitors

  • iPads, sensors, and bat demo equipment for Nature Center

  • Purchase vault toilet blower motors

  • Repairs to Red Oak shelter

  • Supplies for blacktop trail paving repairs