On Thursday, October 3rd, supporters and friends of Chippewa Watershed Conservancy gathered at Little Flower Barn in Lake Isabella to celebrate our fourth annual Fall Fundraiser and raise more than $18,000 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 opportunity to purchase tickets for to win one of a dozen raffle prizes. Popular raffle items included a custom-built wooden bench, a bird-themed gift basket provided by the Chippewa Valley Audubon, a Midland experience package, a hand-crocheted afghan, a pollinator themed gift basket, and much more. The social hour also provided time for guests to take a few photos and (with the help of some fun props) share some laughs, in a photo booth. The wonderful fall weather also allowed for the chance to relax on the rockers on the porch or to stroll the beautiful grounds of Little Flower Barn.
The social hour was also a great time to check out the works created by our 2024 Artists-in-Residence. With six pieces inspired by CWC preserves on display, artists Kate Brown, Natalie Smith, and Rachel Davis Smith were all on hand to discuss their work.
The social hour was followed by a brief welcome from CWC Board President Keith Tollenaere and then a fall-themed buffet dinner. After dinner, CWC Executive Director Mike LeValley gave a brief presentation about our efforts to catalog species on Conservancy properties and how those efforts inform our preservation and restoration work. Mike highlighted several species of plants and animals and shared news of the discovery of a rare plant species, the Forked Aster (Eurybia furcata), on a CWC preserve this fall. Further news about this discovery will be shared in an upcoming post.
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the 2024 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 Anne Messinger.
Anne is being honored for her volunteerism and advocacy of the organization. One of our most dedicated supporters, Anne is always working behind the scenes to support the CWC. Anne signed a conservation easement on her property in 2015 and later amended the easement to add additional acreage in 2018. Based on her positive experiences, she actively encourages friends and neighbors to place their properties in easements as well. When a call for volunteers goes out, Anne is always near the front of the line – including volunteering at the Fall Fundraiser. Anne also serves as a member of our Relationships Committee which, among other duties, plans fundraising activities and outreach events across the year. Most of all, she shares her passion for our mission with anyone who is willing to listen. Organizations like the CWC cannot thrive without supporters like Anne.
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 50/50 drawing (won by Brian Clayton) and the Drummond Island Trip Package (won by Andrea Ritter).
