Crowdfunding Campaign Launched for the “Swedetown Chalet Universal Access and Expansion” in Calumet

LANSING, Mich. – The Swedetown Trails Club and Calumet Township are working together to create the area's only universally accessible recreation and adaptive sports facility, and update and expand the Swedetown Chalet. This project will be fulfilled through the anticipated success of a crowdfunding campaign that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the nonprofit Swedetown Trails Club announced today, which is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.  

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $50,000 by August 20, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program. This project is utilizing the PSCP Universal Design and Accessibility Funding Extension to access funding for existing public spaces that are creating universal design and accessibility in their space. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/chalet. 

“The Swedetown Chalet becoming universally accessible will welcome new users to the recreation space and the surrounding trails,” said MEDC Regional Development Managing Director Paula Holtz. "We are pleased to provide resources for this effort through our Public Spaces Community Places program.” 

This project addresses the need for a barrier-free facility that meets universal design standards and is accessible to all members of the Calumet community and the greater Keweenaw Peninsula. Many of the Swedetown ski trails are already appropriate for para-athletes. The Two Hoots universally accessible two-mile trail, completed last summer, provides an opportunity for those in wheelchairs, as well as families with strollers, or children learning how to mountain bike. The renovated chalet will complete this project by providing gathering areas and restrooms accessible to all.  

The Swedetown Trails Club and Swedetown Recreation Area provide the region with 29 kilometers of cross-country ski trails, 15 kilometers of (snow) bike trails, 10 kilometers of snowshoe trails, a popular sledding hill, and 25 miles of singletrack trails for mountain biking, hiking, and running. The Chalet provides a gathering space used for everything from events and races to birthday parties, school visits, and community organizing. Making the Chalet universally accessible will ensure these amenities are available to all. 

“For the past several years, the Swedetown Trails Club and Calumet Township have worked toward our goal of creating the area’s only universally accessible recreation and adaptive sports facility and updating and expanding the Swedetown chalet to accommodate the ever-increasing number of users and to make the facility work better for all of us,” said Larry Zurawski, president of the Swedetown Trails Club. “We could not have gotten this far without the partnerships that we have established along the way. Our partnership with the Public Spaces Community Places program is essential in helping us reach donors and to double the impact of their contributions to secure the remaining funding needed to create this community resource.” 

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League and Patronicity, in which residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan. 

“The Swedetown Chalet expansion is a great example of placemaking that includes everyone. The more accessible a recreation space is, the better it is for the health of the community,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League. “The League is proud to support these improvements in Calumet Township that prioritize the safety and inclusion of all.” 

The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of June 25, 2026, the MEDC has provided more than $14.8 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 448 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $17.5 million raised from 80,214 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds. 

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.