Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden Planned for St. Cloud, Organizers Seek Community Support

(KNSI) – Organizers of a proposed Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden for pets have a new location that will better serve their needs and are turning to the public for help.

The garden is named after the famous poem about where pets go after they pass away. The memorial garden will provide a dedicated space to pay tribute to them.

Originally, planners hoped to place the memorial garden in Talahi Woods, but after meeting with city officials, they’ve shifted their focus to Pioneer Park, between the Beaver Island Trail and Clearwater Road.

Laura Ellavsky is spearheading the project and explained to KNSI News that the garden was moved due to ADA accessibility issues and because they need access to electricity and water for a fountain feature. “Pioneer Park has all of those things, so it checks all those boxes for us. It’s a nice location. There’s not tons of traffic. It’s very quiet and peaceful, which is also kind of what we’re looking for in this garden space.”

To make this vision a reality, Ellavsky needs donations from the community. “We do need to start moving forward with more fundraising, and I think it’s important that the community knows that if they want to see this space here, we do have to have dollars coming in. We can’t just wish and hope that this happens.”

Their goal is $100,000. So far, they have raised $1,000, but there are a number of ways to help out. On Monday, July 21st, there’s a fundraiser at Pizza Ranch in Waite Park between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. Ten percent of all sales during that time will go directly to the project. Kinder Coffee Lab has created a special edition Rainbow Bridge roast available on their website, with $7 from each sale supporting the garden.

Organizers are also offering pet photography sessions for $75 each. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to the project. For those interested in scheduling a pet photography session, contact thestcloudrbmg@gmail.com.