Punxsutawney Groundhog Club
It was seamless, not overbearing. I do real estate for a living and I deal with loans and banks every day, and I found The Progress Fund’s process to be easy and smooth.”
People
One day each year, all eyes are on Punxsutawney as tens of thousands of people descend upon Gobbler’s Knob. The other days? “Every single day there is someone who comes to our town and drives up to the Knob to take a look at it,” says Jay Lundy, a member of the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle. “Some people shoot down here from I-80, take a photo and leave.” If they found a reason to stay longer, would they peruse the town’s dozens of groundhog statues, dine and shop? That prospect inspired the club to add an interactive Groundhog Zoo to the visitor center. The Groundhog Club reached out to Jefferson County Development Council for funding options. The County suggested that the club contact The Progress Fund.
Progress
The Progress Fund, in collaboration with the County, loaned $75,000.
Impact
The new Zoo provides visitors a view into Punxsutawney Phil’s Burrow under the Knob, surrounded by artfully constructed roots, earth, bricks – plus groundhog-sized furniture and weather prediction instruments. Through a tunnel and class dome, visitors of all ages will be transported unto the middle of Phil’s Burrow. “Phil could possibly be looking at you,” says Jay. “You could be right there looking at him, eye level.” Suddenly this town of 5,700 is more than a photo stop. “This is really going to give people more of a reason to stay a little longer.”
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