The public phase of a capital campaign to raise money for the Kroc Center at the Mid-South Fairgrounds has begun. The goal is to raise $3.9 million for the facility located just south of Central on East Parkway. Once the money is raised, construction on the 15-acre, 100,000-square-foot facility can begin. The campaign has already raised more than $21.1 million. Once the funding is raised, the center will receive a $50 million gift from the Kroc Trust, which was created by McDonald's Corp. founder Ray Kroc and his wife, Joan. A gift of $1.5 billion was given to the Salvation Army to build 25 Kroc Centers across the country. Kroc Centers are designed to serve the needs of families in the neighborhoods surrounding the facilities.
Ray Kroc is the founder of McDonalds.