MANDAN, ND (KXNET) — When you were a child, what made winter fun? Was it the holiday season? Making your first snowman? A neighborhood snowball fight? There is no right answer, but for most of you, I’m pretty sure you remember how much fun sledding down a hill was. The speed, the feeling of the air rushing across your face, the laughs your friends made when you wiped out at the bottom. All these moments are a part of growing up. They are core memories that shape a child. It’s no coincidence that the big reveal in the critically acclaimed film, Citizen Kane, was a sled. It’s the carefree nature of sledding, which reminds us that life should really be about one simple thing: joy. 

In the Bismarck/Mandan area, one group from the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC wants to share that joy with our community’s kids by providing a designated sledding hill in Mandan: the first one of its kind there. The potential sledding hill would be at Sunset Park on the north side of the hill. 

The project would come in 2 phases. Phase 1 would consist of the city and park department designating the hill as a sledding hill for the community. This may also include a warming house, which may act as a gathering space or shelter to escape the cold. If the hill becomes successful as a safe option for families to use, then the city would move to the next phase. Phase 2 would create the hill to be an attraction. There would be a rope tow or a conveyer belt to bring the kids up to the top of the hill. There may be winter recreation rentals available at the bottom for people to rent snowshoes, cross-country skis, or ice skate. The possibilities are endless, and every step of the way, families are creating lasting memories.

So how can you voice your opinion on this? There is a short survey that the community is asking everyone to fill out. You do not need to be a resident of Mandan. This survey is simply to gather data on what is important to you, the community at large. The survey is completely confidential, and we will not contact or share your personal information with anyone.

Fill out the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBPH7SD