Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation - Looking Forward and Bringing the Community Closer Together

Recreation is a key component of economic development for a community. Business owners and employees look at the recreational opportunities that exist in a community as a key part of making decisions to move into the community. Recreation is an important part of the foundation for quality of life acitivies.

"Recreation is no longer simply having fun. Rather, it involves the kind of America we have and want to have, and the kind of people we are and are likely to become." Laurence S. Rockefeller, son of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation is the outcome of conversations with hotel and motel operators regarding the hotel-motel tax vote in 1998. Concerns were expressed over a new tax, how it would be used and who would control it. The foundation concept answered the questions and calmed the concerns of the community. The vote passed and MCRF was formed.

What is MCRF? Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation (MCRF) is a 501(c)3 organization formed in the fall of 1998 to facilitate...

• development of facilities, resources and programs that are needed with emphasis on helping and encouraging current providers to expand their programs and facilities
• needs assessment of the communities' constituncies
• capabilities assessment of the existing organizations that serve the community
• information exchange among the constituencies and providers

Who is Served by MCRF? Every person in the Mahaska Community - young and old, advantaged and disadvantaged, family and single, at-risk, varying abilities - everyone is served by MCRF.

MCRF does not serve by county lines, city lines, school district lines, but rather serves the Mahaska Community which steps outside the boundaries of Mahaska County. the opportunitiye exists to efficiently and effectively use the communities' resources to serve the area of the whole county as one economic entity for which MCRF can afford to develop the needed services.

For more information contact MCRF Director Sherry Vavra, 641.672.2499 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .