BUFFALO, NY-- Western New York is set to receive $100 million from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
The foundation will mark the 100th birthday of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. by donating $200 million to his favorite communities, southeast Michigan and Buffalo. Wilson's wife Mary was on hand Wednesday for the announcement.
Forty million of Buffalo's donation will go to LaSalle Park, $10 million endowment to sustain maintenance and upkeep of the park, another $40 million goes to regional parks and trails with a second $10 million endowment to sustain their maintenance and upkeep.
A group of stakeholders visited parks in Chicago, Cincinnati, and New York City to get ideas.
The Imagine LaSalle survey team got feedback from nearly 12-hundred people this summer. Many say they want the park to be cleaner and have permanent bathrooms open year-round.
So what could the $40 million buy?
A master plan from 20 years ago puts the cost of a wishlist of items - from a new concession stand and restaurant to new playgrounds and ball fields - at more than $11 million.
Despite losing her voice Wednesday, Mary Wilson spoke briefly at LaSalle Park about her husband's legacy.
"Today I wore, I knew I was going to get emotional in Buffalo. I was good in Detroit. But today, I wore his Hall of Fame ring, his '09 Hall of Fame ring, which was one of the greatest moments in his life, and I feel that this is one of the greatest moments in his life, and he's really, he is in the Hall of Fame of life," said Wilson.
The foundation also announced Wednesday the park will be renamed to honor Wilson. It will become the Ralph C. Wilson, Junior Centennial Park.