Designated Funds

After more than 50 years of operating in essentially the same space, 88.1 the Park is in need of significant upgrades. On May 10, 2024, we launched the Amplification Capital Campaign to raise funds to convert a classroom into a series of editing, recording, and interview studios, a staff room, and storage space. The $517,000 estimate for the capital campaign includes architecture fees, construction costs, HVAC considerations, sound attenuation measures, enhanced lighting, security considerations, ADA accessibility, video capabilities, and significant equipment purchases and upgrades resulting in four additional studios.

These upgrades will allow for significantly more student participation and more than double our current studio space, allowing for more on-air content, recorded news/programming, and edited news podcasts. These upgrades will put the broadcasting environment at 88.1 the Park on par with professional studio space—helping to maintain our award-winning broadcasting quality, while creating a more professional experience for students and studio guests.

In recognition of the Rotary Club of Plymouth’s centennial (the Club was founded in 1924), the Club’s Foundation has granted $200,000 to the capital campaign. This is a last-in grant: we must raise $200,000 first in order to receive the grant. Our fundraising horizon is December 31, 2026, but we hope to have the money raised by the end of 2025.

Camp A.B.L.E. is a summer camp designed for disabled children between the ages of 8-14. Camp A.B.L.E. (which stands for Achieve, Believe, Learn, Experience), gives participants the opportunity to take part in a variety of adapted "traditional" summer camp activities throughout the day, including crafts, swimming, songs, games, and trips which encourage campers to interact with peers.  Camp A.B.L.E. helps to enhance social skills; strengthen gross- and fine-motor skills; and builds independence. The Camp A.B.L.E. Fund provides scholarships for families that demonstrate a need. The program also seeks to offset some expenses related to important items like sensory integration tools and accessible transportation that currently exist outside of Camp A.B.L.E.'s current budget.

This fund was created to help groups in the community, including seniors, veterans, youth, special needs and residents struggling with basic human needs.

This fund was created to provide financial assistance to developmentally disabled adults who participate in Canton's Leisure Club.

The Canton Police K9 Unit created this fund to support the health and welfare of the Canton Police K9 dogs as well as provide the funding to erect a local monument to memorialize the dogs.

This fund was created by two Canton residents, who are former librarians, to provide funds to purchase printed materials for the Canton Public Library.

With the assistance of long-time Canton residents Laura and Jim Kosteva, the Canton Trail Fund is designed to provide grants to Canton Township for the building and maintaining of public bike and walking trails within the township of Canton. The intention of the fund is to be a supplement to exisitng and proposed future trail improvement, maintenance, expansion and capital construction activities of the Charter Township of Canton.

Several funds have been created by donors that will be funded upon their passing. The donors have already designated which nonprofits to which they are directing grants from their funds. This arrangement allows the donor to designate the time span of the donation to their designated nonprofit rather than granting it to the nonprofit all at once. The fund will continue to grow with investment income during the grant-out years, providing the nonprofit with a steady income and professional management of investment assets.

Leadership Canton is a joint program between the Canton Chamber of Commerce and Canton Township that provides a forum to bring together new leaders in the community. The program provides many benefits to participants, including exposure to key issues affecting the greater Canton community, a deep knowledge of Canton's resources, facilities, programs and services, and the opportunity for participants to reach their full potential professionally, personally and through service to our community. This funds helps to provide scholarships to eligible participants in the program.

This fund was created to provide additional resources to benefit the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Orchestra programs.

WSDP, 88.1 the Park, is the student-operated radio station owned by the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools in Canton, Michigan. It is operated out of Salem High School; and has been in operation since February 14, 1972. WSDP is the only high school radio station to receive a nomination for the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Radio Award. This fund supports general operations of the radio station. Learn more about WSDP at 881thepark.com.