Association For The Wolf Lake Initiative

The mission of the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (AWLI) is to promote and enhance Wolf Lake and its natural surrounds.

Description:
AWLI is a not-for-profit organization and land trust. It pursues three primary goals:

Resolve bi-state issues by conducting meetings with stakeholders: government, industry, educators, environmental groups, and individuals,
Promote Wolf Lake for its recreational and educational benefits. For NWI and Southeast Chicago families, each year AWLI sponsors two festivals, a fair and an art show. Activities promoted, at no expense to the participants, include canoeing, fishing, kite flying, windsurfing and sailing instructions, plant and tree identification, birding, introduction to ice safety and ice boating. AWLI also sponsors poster and essay contests to instill in our youth a stewardship ethic so, in the future, they will protect and enhance Wolf Lake.
Advocate for change for improvements

AWLI is governed by a 20-member board and maintains a Web site at www.wolflakeinitiative.org.

History:
AWLI was formed in late 1999 as a collaboration of the Calumet Ecological Park Association and Friends of Wolf Lake, known as CEPA/Friends of Wolf Lake. The proposal was approved in concept by the Calumet Heritage Partnership in November 1999. That same month it joined the Lake Calumet Ecosystem Partnership.

As CEPA/Friends of Wolf Lake, AWLI sponsored the successful Bi-State Gatherings on Wolf Lake in 2000 and 2001, financed from local fund-raising efforts and donation of services from various entities. The Gatherings developed the Wolf Lake Vision document. In mid-2001, the collaboration evolved into a working consortium and became the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative. The Legacy Foundation of Lake County, Indiana, became its fiscal agent.

In early May 2001, AWLI conducted the initial Wolf Lake Bi-state Wetlands Festival and Fund-raising Dinner. Funds raised were used to establish an endowment fund for Wolf Lake. AWLI sponsored the Winter Wonderland at Wolf Lake Festivals in January 2002, planned by the WWW.COMmittee, a group of local agencies and organizations. The advisory committee to Wolf Lake managers, as recommended in the Wolf Lake Vision Document, held its initial meeting in March 2002. Known as the Wolf Lake Vision Implementation Committee, the group met on a monthly basis through February 2005, when these implementation efforts were shifted to AWLI’s Board of Directors.

AWLI held a retreat in May 2003 at which it confirmed its major goal as convening bi-state meetings of government agencies and officials, business and industry and local educational, civic and environmental groups and individuals in support of its mission. To promote Wolf Lake and surrounding natural areas and to advocate for improvements became its other goals. Retreat participants recommended that AWLI incorporate as a not-for-profit organization and land trust. In late June the membership drive was launched with the assistance of Congressmen Jesse Jackson Jr. and Pete Visclosky. A founding board of directors was selected in September with officers who served as its executive committee. The membership elected the Board and selected Michael Boos as Executive Director in early January 2004. In early February, the IRS awarded AWLI its 501(c)(3) status as a not-for-profit organization and land trust.

Contact people:

Eveline Heesaker, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)
Michael Boos, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (219) 853-2424

Address:

2405 Calumet Avenue
Hammond, IN 46320-1102
(See a map)

Web Site: http://www.wolflakeinitiative.org

Last updated on June 2, 2009

			©1999- United Way of Porter County. All Rights Reserved.

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