Fund Raising Efforts
Click HERE for our GoFundMe page.
Click HERE for our online store page with Roger's paintings, prints and memorabilia from Enchanted Forest's past.
Click HERE for our Buy A Brick program
Update May 17, 2021
Thank you to everyone who has helped support us through Covid and the Ice Storm damage of February 12th. Today we have set our reopening day! We will reopen on Saturday May 22. Repairs from the Ice Storm damage are still not complete, but we are far enough along to be able to safely reopen. Financially, we have debt and are not sure yet how much of the extensive repairs and cleanup from the storm will be covered by insurance. We will keep you posted as we move through these challenges. We are hopeful that this summer will bring a return to normal and help us keep the debt to a manageable amount. Your support has made a huge difference in our ability to survive the financial devastation of Covid and the Ice Storm. Thank you!
Update Mar 24th, 2021
The good news is that we are making tremendous progress with repairs and cleanup form the ice storm damage. The bad news is that we were not able to make our opening date of March 19th. We will update this when we feel we are close to reopening for the 2021 season.
When we are able to reopen, we have been given a percent of capacity of 15%. Last year we were closed for half of our season and when allowed to open, we were only allowed 250 people including employees. 15% is better than that and hopefully will improve as more people are vaccinated.
UPDATE February 17th 2021
In addition to the financial problems caused by Covid, on February 12th, 2021, Enchanted Forest suffered extensive damage from the Ice Storm. Several dozen very large trees fell and uncountable smaller trees. The kiddie train was crushed as were several structures. Roof repair, cleanup and repairs have begun, but we will not know the full extent of damage until trees are removed. Not are areas of the park are accessible yet for inspection and we have been without power since the 12th. We will update our website as we gain a better understanding of the full damage and when we might reopen.
TRYING TO SURVIVE THROUGH COVID - THE ORIGINAL POST
The Enchanted Forest theme park in Oregon is created, owned and operated by our family, including our father, creator Roger Tofte, now 90 years old, with 3 generations now working in the park. Prior to Covid we were a thriving business and had no debt. Then Covid hit and now at the end of our season, we are in debt and that debt will continue to rise quickly until Covid has passed and business returns to normal. We will celebrate our 50 year anniversary August 8, 2021 and are determined to make it to celebrate our 50th year anniversary. It is time to ask for help.
WHAT HAPPENED? (See Willamette Week video interview about what happened. Click HERE.)
During the first half of our 6 month 2020 season, by state mandate we were not allowed to open in any capacity. We were disappointed that any of our safety plans, even private family tours, were not considered because we were classified as an amusement park. When we were allowed to open for the last half of our season, we were only allowed a capacity of 250 people including employees. Our park’s capacity is several thousand guests, so 250, including employees, does not begin to pay our bills.
We have been very responsible, with temperature checks, sanitizing rides between each rider, extreme sanitizing, even outside, closing areas of the park where proper social distancing or sanitizing cannot be maintained, online reservations to control and document capacity and much more. We have worked hard to cut our operating expenses in less than half, but even so, that small capacity leads us further and further into debt.
We are trying to be creative and exhaust all possible sources of income. We have put more items on our online store and started to auction off our father’s paintings, prints and memorabilia. This is why we have started our GoFundMe...to keep Enchanted Forest open to be enjoyed long after Covid is gone.
THE ENCHANTED FOREST STORY - Click HERE to go to our History Page
THE FUTURE
With three generations of the Tofte family working at Enchanted Forest, the tradition and creativity will be carried on for many years to come with your help. Roger can still be seen almost daily out working in the park. If you see a man in his 90s riding around on a moped or repairing cement, it is probably Roger! As Roger says, " We believe in attention to artistic detail. We want to offer our visitors something unique, with a lot of variety. We strive to be the hidden gem that people discover as their own special place."
Our goal right now is to save Enchanted Forest and survive through Covid so we are here for future generations to enjoy. We have cut our operating budget to less than half of what it would be during a normal year, but even so, with a capacity of only 250 mandated by Oregon, this does not begin to cover costs to keep us in business. We will continue to work hard and use all of our creativity, but we have decided this is the time to ask for help.
CONTRIBUTIONS OR GIFTS TO ENCHANTED FOREST, INC. ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Any contributions received shall be considered gifts to Enchanted Forest, Inc., which is a for profit corporation. Contributors will not receive any good or services in exchange for their gifts. At the discretion of Enchanted Forest gifts received will be used to cover Enchanted Forest’s ongoing costs and expenses in an effort to help Enchanted Forest survive and provide family fun and adventure to future generations of Oregonians to come.
