Tega Cay wants to brand Catawba Park. How much are you willing to pay to market it?

Tega Cay Mayor George Sheppard is asking residents to open their wallets to help market a new park to visitors.

Sheppard touted the “1982 Fundraiser” during the Fort Mill/ Tega Cay State of the Community Breakfast Tuesday morning in the Courtyard by Marriott. The fundraiser asks residents to donate $19.82 to the city to help brand the upcoming Catawba Park project.

The 61-acre park, which leaders say will become a regional tourism destination, is located along the Catawba River, below New Gray Rock Road and the Lake Wylie dam.

The site already has a boat ramp and fishing areas. Plans include a baseball/softball complex, multipurpose fields, a basketball circle, amphitheater, par 3 disc golf course, a canoe/kayak launch, horseshoe courts, playgrounds and restrooms. Extensive trails will connect to neighboring communities and the Carolina Thread Trail.

Sheppard said the fundraiser is an homage to the year 1982, when Tega Cay was founded. The money raised will go toward raising awareness of the new park, he said.

There is no groundbreaking date at this time, although City Manager Charlie Funderburk estimates it may happen in spring 2018. Funderburk said the city has about $1.1 million set aside for the park, which is nearly enough to complete Phase 1.

The city is working to approve leases with partners Duke Energy and Clear Springs in the meantime. Both entities own significant parcels of the proposed 61-acre site.

The fundraiser is the brainchild of nonprofit Tega Cay Forever. The group works to enhance quality of life by promoting parks, open space and community events.

Sheppard said the park is possible, thanks to partnerships between the city, Duke Energy and Clear Springs Baxter.

Donors can have their names featured on a 1982 donors’ list, mentioned in Tega Cay social media, and in the Tega Cay Rewind Newsletter. To donate, residents are asked to click here or stop by City Hall at 7725 Tega Cay Drive in Tega Cay.

City officials are applying for a $25,000 grant from the Municipal Association of South Carolina Hometown Economic Development Grant to help fund the park. That money would go towards improving the boat launch area for kayakers and canoers to enjoy.

Sheppard has announced he will not seek a third term as mayor. A new mayor will be elected in November.

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Tega Cay wants to brand Catawba Park. How much are you willing to pay to market it?."