Thunder Bay‘s tai chi association is looking to raise $100,000 towards the construction of International Taiji Park on the city‘s waterfront.
The rest of the $200,000 project will come from government and other funding sources, members of the Peng You Taiji Quan Association said Friday at the campaign‘s launch in Marina Park.
The park, which will be located near the skateboard plaza and will ideally be completed in 2011, will include a traditional Chinese-style moon gate entrance, leading to a flagstone pad in a Yin Yang shape. It was designed by Thunder Bay architect Walter Kuch, a news release says.
“This just adds to the variety of activities that people can do in the city, the variety of attractions in the city,” said Wayne Bilbrough, chairman of the association. “This is going to be unique.”
Luba Cargill, the association‘s fundraising chair, said several events are planned to help raise the needed funds, and applications have been submitted to various funding sources, including the City of Thunder Bay.
“We‘ve already raised a little over $5,000,” she said, adding events are planned for next spring, summer and fall.
“People can make a donation to the tai chi association,” Cargill said. “People can make a donation to the City of Thunder Bay, and note that the amount is earmarked for the tai chi park.”
The park is also important, Bilbrough said, because it will offer permanent recognition of tai chi‘s prominence in the city.
“In China, in the tai chi community, Thunder Bay is known as Canada‘s tai chi city,” he said. “It sounds funny for 100,000 people, but it is.
“It will actually show everybody else that Thunder Bay is a tai chi city as well. We know that, but others will know that, too.”
For more information, visit pengyou-taiji.ca.
Kris Ketonen
