ABERDEEN, S.D.(Press Release)- The 2024 Leadership Aberdeen Class is raising funds to make Baird Hill in Baird Park, a safer, more usable sledding hill for families to use throughout the winter. The class plans to purchase a snowmaker machine and snow groomer for use on the sledding hill.

The City has a master plan in place for Baird Park and this would be phase one of that plan. The total cost of this phase will be about $240,000. The class has already raised close to $115,000 and needs to raise an additional $55,000 yet this year to cover the cost of the snowmaker machine and used snow groomer. The city has committed to pay the remaining cost to include bringing water and electricity to the site, parking lot improvements, fencing, signage and staffing.

The City of Aberdeen, and other community-based groups, have and are continuing to try and increase winter activities as a workforce retention and quality-of-life effort. We understand that our winters can be viewed negatively by some, so we need to do all we can to highlight the positives of living in Aberdeen and South Dakota during the winter months.

Having adequate, safe snow on the sledding hill is the first step in the process. Once that is completed, the City hopes to continue investing in a variety of other winter activities at this location including a warming hut, cross-country ski trail, outdoor hockey/curling rink, etc. over the coming years.