Grand Lake Offers Grants for Information Kiosks to Help Visitors Understand the Region
The Grand Lake Region Visitors Center is hoping to better fulfill its mission of attracting people to the region via grants for information kiosks. Executive Director Donna Grube said that information kiosks help people understand the area better. “When visitors come, they don’t really know where things are, or where the local landmarks are,” said Grube. When asked about how the grant idea came about, Grube said that signage in the area was lacking.
“We think one thing that is lacking is signage for visitors. When you’re from an area, you know your way around, but visitors don’t have that knowledge,” said Grube. She mentioned that while researching kiosks, they looked at both physical and digital versions, before deciding to offer grants for physical kiosks. Grube noted that they initially were going to buy the kiosk themselves, but then thought of a better idea.
“We decided to offer grant money to communities so that they could design their own kiosks, so that it would fit with their aesthetic, and it could be placed where they wanted,” said Grube.
The grants for outdoor kiosks will be available to local communities as well as non-profit organizations in Auglaize and Mercer Counties. This is the third year of the grant and so far, only the Celina Chamber of Commerce has applied for, and received the grant. Their grant was approved in 2021, and their kiosk is planned for installation this spring in the Bryson Park District.
“We’re finalizing the plan, and are very appreciative of the grant from the Grand Lake Region Visitors Center,” said Stacy Beougher, the executive director of the Celina Mercer County Chamber of Commerce. Beougher also noted that that to secure all the funding necessary, they had to reach out for additional funding. “The Celina Mercer County Chamber of Commerce along with the Celina Rotary, Revival Design, and Hazelnut Coffee House are all sponsors of the Kiosk.”
Beougher said that after they received the funding, the process was one of deciding on the design. “Revival has done an amazing job coming up with the design, and putting it together,” said Beougher. She also said that having accurate info in the kiosk is one of their priorities. “As changes come to our downtown, we want to make sure it will continue to have the most accurate information.” “We Appreciate the Grand Lake Region Visitors Center. The kiosks are a way for them to help promote tourism in our county. They work so hard, and it brings dollars into our community,” said Beougher. Grube noted that these kiosks are filled with all kind of information about the community, and as Beougher alluded to, that helps keep the economy thriving. “In our region you’ll find these in Troy and Greenville. They’re already ahead of the game in understanding it helps visitors. We’d like to have people be able to find their way around the area. The longer people stay around, the more money they’ll spend in the community.”
Applications for the Information Kiosk Grants will be accepted until Mar. 31, 2023, with recipients announced on Apr. 14. The Grand Lake Region Visitors Center offers two grants per year which will cover up to fifty percent of the project, with a cap of $2,500. For more info about the grants, contact Donna Grube at 419-394-1294.