General Mills donates $3 million for RiverFirst Initiative projects

On Jan. 27, the General Mills Foundation presented a generous $3 million “birthday gift to Minneapolis” to the Minneapolis Parks Foundation in the form of a three-year lead corporate contribution to the RiverFirst Campaign. Ken Powell, Chairman of the Board and CEO of General Mills, presented the gift at an event in the Mill District on the Minneapolis Central Riverfront, the birthplace of General Mills 150 years ago.

The RiverFirst Initiative is a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB)-led vision for regional riverfront parks and trails that will transform the Upper Mississippi Riverfront into a world-class cultural and recreational destination for residents and visitors, as well as a regional economic engine for the 21st century. The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is the MPRB’s primary philanthropic partner in the exciting, public-private park development initiative.

The multi-year grant will go toward three RiverFirst signature projects on both sides of the Minneapolis Central and Upper Riverfronts, including a critical trail link and pier at 26th Ave N, a future riverfront park and beach at Hall’s Island (Scherer site), and Water Works, an iconic destination on the Central Riverfront.

Please read the full news release posted on the Minneapolis Parks Foundation website for more information on this fantastic news.