Rotary All-User Playground Receives Transformative $1 Million Gift
The Rotary All-User Playground project has reached a major milestone with a $1 million commitment from Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft Corporation, and his wife Kathy, in honor of Brad’s father, longtime Rotarian and community leader Stan Smith.
For the past seven months, volunteers have been working to raise funds for the Rotary All-User Playground, a fully inclusive outdoor space designed so that children and adults of all abilities can play side by side. The project will serve families across Mequon and Thiensville by creating an accessible, welcoming destination for the entire community.
Local families, businesses, and neighbors have already contributed more than $1.4 million toward the $4.5 million goal. The new commitment from Brad and Kathy Smith brings the total fundraising to over 50 percent of the project cost, moving Rotary significantly closer to making the playground a reality.
Brad Smith’s gift totals $1 million, with $750,000 contributed by Brad and Kathy Smith and $250,000 provided as a designated matching donation over three years by Microsoft Corporation, as part of the company’s charitable matching benefit for employees.
Stan Smith serves as co-chair of the Capital Campaign and has been a dedicated volunteer with Rotary since 1977, shortly after moving his family to Mequon. In recognition of his decades of service and his leadership on this effort, the main Rotary structure inside the playground will bear the name, “For the community by the Stanford Smith Family.”
“Stan is the kind of volunteer every community hopes for. He brings passion, humility, and an unwavering commitment to creating something that will make life better for others. His steady leadership has carried this project forward from the very beginning, and we are grateful for everything he has done to bring this vision within reach,” said Sandy Custer, Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign.
Additional naming recognitions include:
• The Zip Krooz will honor Brad Smith’s sister and brother-in-law, Carrie and John Gustafson, who are residents of Mequon. The Zip Krooz provides every child with a flying experience, with fast linear movement from one end of the structure to the other.
• The Bay of Swings will be named for Microsoft Corporation, which includes a variety of swings to accommodate a variety of ages and abilities from toddlers to adults.
The Rotary All-User Playground committee will continue fundraising efforts to close the remaining $2 million gap needed to complete the project.
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