Johnelle Hunt Donates $5 Million For NWA Game and Fish Center

Billionaire philanthropist and trucking magnate Johnelle Hunt has contributed $5 million to kick off the capital campaign for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Northwest Arkansas education center and regional office, southeast of Wagon Wheel Road and Interstate 49 in north Springdale.

The lead gift was announced Nov. 20 at a special ceremony at Arvest Ballpark.

The commission and its fundraising arm, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, are trying to raise as much as $18 million in the next eight months to finance the project, which includes a 12,000-SF education center, regional office, and outdoor activity and educational areas.

The commission recently gained title to about 61 scenic acres donated by the city of Springdale and the Springdale Water and Sewer Commission. The land, in three parcels south of Wagon Wheel, is bordered on the north by Spring Creek, on the west by I-49, and on the east by North 40th Street.

“It’s big news for everybody,” said Chuck Dicus, the foundation’s president. “We all see a real need for this facility in Northwest Arkansas.”