Virden Parks Initiative

07/17/2026

The next VPI meeting scheduled for next Tuesday has been postponed until the following week, Tuesday, July 28th. Please share and help spread the word!

07/05/2026

ATTENTION all VPI members and ANYONE interested in helping --- this is a good opportunity for us to finally move on an OSLAD grant application!
Massie & Massie has completed our latest request for a focused Large, Medium, and Small project proposal pulled from our Master plan.
Rather than explain what all that means here in this post, plan NOW to attend our next Virden Parks Initiative meeting on Tuesday, July 21, at 7 PM. It will be held at First Baptist Church's Pitman Hall located at 157 W. Jackson St.
While it may LOOK like the VPI has not been actively working lately, that is sincerely NOT the case---please attend this meeting and see EXACTLY what has been happening! Hope to see you there!!

IDNR is accepting applications for Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, grants through Aug. 31.

A total of $37.5 million is available for this round of OSLAD grants. IDNR will provide funding to cover 90% of eligible projects in economically distressed communities. In the most recent round of OSLAD awards announced in January, 20 underserved locations received grants for local park projects.

In addition, communities whose parks need to be rebuilt as a result of storm damage are encouraged to apply for OSLAD grants. Under state administrative rules, entities recovering from storm damage can apply as physically distressed communities, allowing them to only need 10% matching funds.

Learn more here: https://dnr.illinois.gov/grants/openspacelandsaquisitiondevelopment-grant.html

06/23/2026

We are looking for some groups or individuals to sort bottle caps. Comment below if you are interested

05/18/2026

We meet at First Baptist Church, 157 W. Jackson St. in Virden inside Pitman Hall at the back of the church. Please join us!!!

04/06/2026

Have you seen it yet? Your donated bottle caps have created this beautiful bench in memory of Nolan Kiel and it is now sitting outside of the Fire station on Springfield Street. The VPI is proud to have worked in partnership with the VFPD to create this lasting memory for a young man taken far too soon!

The Bottle Caps to Benches program has also created a 6' foot gray bench to be installed at one of our local parks very soon. If you would like to dedicate a bench in memory of a loved one, the cost of a 6' bench is $391.50 plus 200 pounds of bottle caps. The VPI will donate $100 toward an engraved plaque to be installed on the bench.

If your group or organization would like to help with the sorting of the caps for another bench or two, please message us on this page!

03/12/2026

Next meeting of the VPI is Tuesday, March 17th at 7 PM
Pitman Hall, 157 W. Jackson. Please join us and share your ideas and thoughts!

01/17/2026

Did anyone else see that the little town of WITT in Montgomery County secured at $600,000.00 OSLAD grant from the State of Illinois?

First meeting for 2026 of the Virden Parks Initiative will be held this TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 at 7 PM at First Baptist Church's Pitman Hall - 157 W. Jackson St. in Virden.

All are welcomed and encouraged to attend - your input and support are needed!

09/13/2025

Please join us this Tuesday and help make a difference in our community!