shared by many people, questioning to what extent the Loppet Foundationâs
agreements with MPRB actually contribute to equity and accessibility vs. offer
recreation activities for people who can afford the fees. He wants to make sure
that his constituents, the people of north Minneapolis, have the same
opportunities as everyone else, and to see the people of north Minneapolis in
Wirth Park.
The video is at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvtxznFSzsw&list=PLcNuebgSUruDb4eQaigQU4aiCWtH5R1Gs&index=3&t=0s
For context, at 1:36:55, President Cowgill introduces unfinished business
followed by Commissioner Forneyâs reading of a resolution under consideration,
and Commissioner Seversonâs statement starts at 1:37:44. Commissioner French's
comments follow at 1:44:07. His biggest concern is that the Trailhead isnât
designed for folks who live in north Minneapolis; he doesnât think itâs
accessible, including the prices, and thinks that most of the people who go
there donât reflect the neighborhood. He sees the Loppet as an opportunity for
kids to see âother sides of life."
The fees for the private club at the Trailhead in Wirth Park are at:
https://www.loppet.org/tt/trailheadplus/
The Loppet bills the candlelit Luminary Loppet as "the Twin Citiesâ most
magical event of the seasonâ as well as the Loppetâs "primary financial
driver." The fees for the Loppet Luminary event are posted at:
https://www.loppet.org/events/luminary/#register
Adult ticket prices for the four-hour event on Lake of the Isles increase from
$15 in September to $40 in February; and youth prices from $8 to $20. At
todayâs rates, the fee for a family of four (two adults and two youth) would be
$112. If the family decided on the day of the event to attend, their fee would
be $120.
These fees seem unaffordable to many Minneapolis residents--especially
low-income people who might want to participate--and seem inconsistent with
MPRBâs priority of increasing accessibility and equity in our Park system. All
proceeds go to the Loppet Foundation, so essentially MPRB allows the Loppet to
use public parkland as its primary source of revenue (both at the Trailhead and
at Lake of the Isles) by charging hefty prices for people to participate in
events on public parkland. For some people, these arrangements seem to amount
to the Park Board generously subsidizing the Loppet while pricing out many
Minneapolis residents.
>From an environmental standpoint, itâs surprising that the Park Board is
allowing the Loppet to distribute hundreds of glow sticks, which are a form of
plastic pollution, at a time when the Park Board is trying to reduce plastic
pollution. Hopefully this year the Loppet Foundation will be collecting the
glow sticks rather than contributing to plastic trash left on the ice after the
event.