Past Projects
Auger Falls Reseeding
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The Need
On July 22, 2010, a fire burned approximately 450 acres of city-owned property and 50 acres of BLM property near Auger Falls in the Snake River Canyon.
Donations & Contributions
After the fire, the city received a total of $41,200 in donations for restoration purposes. This amount including $2,200 donated through the Twin Falls Community Foundation. In addition to the funds, donations included 2,500 pounds of native grass seed. This seed was worth approximately $21,000.
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The Bureau of Land Management helped with native grass, sagebrush and wildflower seed, mixing, bagging, and delivery of the seed. The bureau also supplied planting instructions and oversight of reseeding.
Community Coming Together
On September 11, 2010, about 400 volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and about 50 other volunteers from the community spent about 4 hours reseeding.
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These volunteers were able to cover 200-250 acres of land that had been burned by the fire. A barbecue lunch was provided by CH2M Hill for all the volunteers that day.
The Aftermath
In some areas the reseeding took hold very well, while others not so well. But the effort and overwhelming demonstration of generosity from the community will not be forgotten.
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"These donations of time, money and seeds are an example of why the Magic Valley is such a wonderful place to live," Dennis Bowyer, Parks and Recreation Director of the City of Twin Falls.
Baxter Dog Park​
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How it began
In the Spring of 2011, a few local people came together with an idea to start Twin Falls' first dog park. The Magic Valley Canine Social Club worked with the City of Twin Falls and this local group of dog lovers made it happen!
Planning
Through a land exchange with Twin Falls County, the City of Twin Falls acquired a suitable location for the park at the corner of Blake St. and Shoup Ave. W. The dog park finally had a home.
Fundraising
With the goal to raise $85,000 to build the park, the Magic Valley Canine Social Club started raising funds selling t-shirts, sponsoring fun runs/walks, soliciting donations and began the annual Dierkes Lake Pooch Splash, a popular event where dogs get to play for a day off leash at the lake.
How we helped
The Twin Falls Community Foundation provided a nonprofit account to which money could be deposited. A substantial portion of the monies coming from large contributions. With major donations received for the park the City of Twin Falls provided funding to complete the park on August 23, 2014.
Downtown Commons
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History of the Fountain
Revitalizing downtown Twin Falls has been a process for several years. One of the first projects tackled was revamping the fountain in old town. The original Main Avenue Foundation Plaza was located at the corner of Hansen and Main.
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It featured concrete rectangular structures made of concrete surrounded by a small pool of running water and a simple waterfall-like effect. In 2015 the fountain was moved to its current location across the street at the former Rogerson Hotel site. The fountain area was completely redesigned and named the Downtown Commons.
Revitalization Effort
The Foundation’s Board of Directors approved this project, and the original design was modified to better complement a major redevelopment of three blocks of Main Ave and the remodel of a building across the street to a new City Hall.
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On Jan 29, 2018, Twin Falls Community Foundation Chairman Leonard Anderson presented a check to the City of Twin Falls for $119,021.65. These funds helped with the development of the $2 million dollar project. The project has a splash park, plenty of space for seating, and a stage for public events.
Community Support
The dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Downtown Commons took place on July 6, 2018, in front of a large crowd of supporters and donors.
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This project was a huge endeavor and wouldn’t have been possible without support from the community. We send a big THANK YOU to all of those that made this project possible.
Twins Falls
Archway at City Park
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A Better Way
For many years event planners and fundraising organizations strung a huge banner announcing their events and efforts across Shoshone Street running along Addison Avenue North.
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This method of advertising was obviously not the most efficient, so discussions ensued about a having better and more permanent system. Designs for the project were submitted to the Twin Falls Community Foundation Board for selection.
Recognizing the Community
Fundraising efforts included selling advertising on bricks, tiles and raised bubbles. A small monument recognizing our generous donors resides near the base of the archway at the city park.
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In 2020, the Perrine Bridge style, 113-foot, 30-ton arch was installed. The graphics are on each side of the steel structure opposite of oncoming traffic.
Non-Commercial
Announcements
The display is used for a wide variety of non-commercial messages. This includes information from Twin Falls City and County, CSI and other local schools, emergency and public safety notices like Amber Alerts, community events, and non-profit activities of many kinds
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We would like to give a special thanks to all those who donated to this project and especially to the Downtown Archway Committee for their tireless efforts in making this project a reality.