Vero Beach City Council member John Carroll is forming an ad-hoc committee to revive the stagnant fundraising effort started last year to help pay for replacement of the Humiston Beach Park boardwalk. The popular island landmark was destroyed by Hurricane Nicole in November of 2022. The city council voted 5-0 on June 23 to approve the Humiston Boardwalk Citizens Committee, which will consist of five members, plus one alternate, similar to the committee that was formed to advise the city during the early planning of the Three Corners waterfront redevelopment project. The committee will meet at least once every two weeks with two specific purposes in mind. One is to restart fundraising efforts and the other is to accelerate those efforts by creating levels of sponsorship and a plan to recognize large donors. “We’ve got people who have already contributed $20,000, $25,000, $50,000, but we didn’t set up any way to recognize them,” Carroll said. At the kickoff meeting, members will elect officers and set goals and objectives for the committee, which will sundown on Dec. 31. Some donors will get plaques, others will get naming rights for the two pavilions or possibly the benches along the walkway, Carroll said. Still others will have their names etched into the planks on the boardwalk. The committee will iron out the specifics. Morgan Reynolds and Bethany Fortunato have completed the necessary forms to serve on the committee, and Carroll says other city residents have volunteered to occupy the remaining seats but have not yet completed the paperwork. The fundraising drive started out strong in early 2025, supported by this paper and numerous island residents, but faltered over time. Managed by Indian River Community Foundation, the fund has taken in $145,213 in donations, plus another $160,000 in pledged donations. The city budgeted $1 million for the project as part of the five-year Capital Improvement plan passed last year. A state grant, FEMA reimbursement and in-kind pledges for construction materials bring the total available for the project to nearly $2.25 million – but that is less than half the current estimated cost of $4.7 million. “The Humiston Boardwalk Citizens Committee has a lot of work to do and will have to hit the ground running,” Carroll said. “The community support is there. It’s just been so long now since fundraising started that it’s kind of died out,” Carroll added. “I kept hearing from people asking me what’s going on with the project, so I figured it was time to do something to get some buzz going.” Carroll, a licensed engineer and contractor, has kickstarted that buzz with a $16,500 matching grant in his family’s name. Added to a $3,500 matching grant he put up when fundraising began, this brings his family’s total contribution to $20,000. He’s hoping others will follow his lead. First built in the 1930s as a traditional wooden boardwalk and later replaced with a concrete structure, the 427-foot-long walkway with benches and a pavilion overlooking the ocean was structurally weakened by Hurricane Ian in late September 2022. Then Hurricane Nicole dealt the fatal blow when she roared past in early November, severely eroding the dune underneath the boardwalk. The city demolished the shattered structure in January 2023 and has since rebuilt the dune line. Current plans call for a boardwalk of essentially the same length as the old structure, but with prestressed concrete pillars, timber framing and Trex decking. There will be a 12-foot by 22-foot covered pavilion toward the north end of the boardwalk and a 12-foot by 42-foot pavilion with a handicapped access ramp toward the south end. LED lighting will be installed in the pavilions. Construction estimates have risen drastically from around $2.3 million in 2025 to between $4.7 million and $5 million for the current plan. However, the exact cost won’t be determined until a winning bidder is selected, according to Matthew Mitts, the city’s public works director. “With so many charitable causes to choose from, I believe it is important for the City of Vero Beach to acknowledge the generosity of donors whose contributions will help to rebuild a community amenity as special as the Humiston boardwalk,” said Jeff Pickering, president and CEO of Indian River Community Foundation. “The city could not have done this project on its own,” said Mitts. “I think all the local philanthropic support and funding partners who want to make this project a reality show that the city and the greater community are resilient and willing to do what it takes to protect a way of life that has brought so many to our area.” Donations can be made at www.rebuildhumiston.org. The Community Foundation will help with the financial paperwork required for tax purposes.