On Thursday, October 5th, supporters and friends of Chippewa Watershed Conservancy gathered at Little Flower Barn in Lake Isabella to celebrate our third annual Fall Fundraiser. By all measures the evening was a success as we saw many old friends, made new friends, and raised nearly $16,000 for the Conservancy!
The evening began with a social hour which gave everyone an opportunity to catch up, enjoy an appetizer, and grab a drink at the bar The social hour also gave people the chance to purchase tickets for to win one of a dozen raffle prizes. Popular raffle items included a bird-themed gift basket provided by the Chippewa Valley Audubon, a day trip to the Leelanau Peninsula, a collection of nature-themed books, and much more. Entertainment during the social hour and throughout the evening was provided by the Big Rapids-area band Cold Leather Seats who played a mix of rock, folk, country, and Americana favorites.
The social hour was followed by a fall-themed buffet dinner which was capped off by a seasonal selection of pies and chocolate cake. After dinner, CWC Executive Director Mike LeValley gave a brief recap of everything that has happened in the past twelve months. Highlights of his presentation included the addition of two new nature preserves (Starks Preserve and Weting Preserve), the addition of 60 acres to Linda Walterreit’s conservation easement, volunteer successes at removing invasive species, and construction of a new trail at Sylvan Solace Preserve.
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the 2023 Bob Ball Award recipient. The Robert (Bob) Ball Award is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the CWC’s purpose of protecting natural habitat and open space. This year’s recipient is Alexis Hansen.
Alexis is being recognized for her service as the CWC’s Development and Outreach Coordinator. Alexis joined the CWC in 2018 in a part-time capacity before transitioning to a full-time role in January 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic. LeValley noted that “the successes of the past four years would not have been possible with out Alexis’s inputs and efforts.”Alexis was instrumental in helping to steer the CWC through the challenges posed by the pandemic and its aftermath. Alexis was a key player in the establishment of our Fall Fundraiser in 2021, after twenty-five years of hosting a Spring Banquet ended in 2019. Alexis has been both a key voice for the organization, making multiple media appearances, and a smiling face representing the CWC at dozens of events and leading numerous educational and social hikes. Often, the first contact that people had with the CWC was through Alexis.
Alexis has recently moved on from the CWC to become the Isabella County Parks and Recreation Director. She stated that she was very humbled and honored to receive this award.
The evening was capped off with the drawing of raffle winners. We began by drawing winners for the in-person raffles. It was fun watching people scanning dozens of raffle tickets for winning numbers with yelps of excitement and surprise from winners and groans of disappointment from those who hadn’t won. The final drawings of the evening were for our Thunder Bay Resort Package (won by Sherrie Warner) and our 50/50 drawing (won and graciously donated back by Sue Knight).
