Copper Harbor Playground Project

Last Saturday was a fine day on the ice.  The wind was subdued and temperatures were in the 20′s.  What else could you want out of a day on the ice?

Some fish!  Eight fish were checked in.  So here are the winners!

Walleye Category: 1st Place = Mick Peterson

Perch Category: 1st Place = John Gierke, 2nd Place = Dave Hanson

Kid’s Category: 1st = Tyler Kipina, 2nd Place = Oren Christ

Close to $200 was raised in donation from the anglers.  Let’s see what they had to say.

Bring on the hungry fishermen!

Mmmm, hot dogs!

Will I be warm enough?

Shhhh!

Fish on!

Special thanks goes to committee volunteers as well as Pat’s IGA, The Pines Resort, Toni’s Country Kitchen and The Gaslite General Store for their contributions of food and supplies.

Bargain Ben does it again!  Pat’s Foods recently donated $1,000 to the Playground Project!  Thank you Campionis!  I wish I had  the acceptance picture to show you.  It was full of cuties!

Also, right in our own town, The Pines Resort donated $1,000 to the playground.  Thank you Stigers!  Make sure to visit The Pines and Zik’s Bar when they reopen this winter!

For a bit of bad news, the Ladie’s Masquerade Ball is postponed for this weekend.  They didn’t have enough participation to cover costs this time around.  Perhaps it will reemerge after the holidays, so save your ball gown!

In the mean time, have a Happy Thanksgiving!  There is a potluck at the Copper Harbor Community Building this Sunday the 18th at 6 pm sharp.  Bring a dish to share and your own setting.  The kiddies from the schoolhouse are going to sing us a few thankful tunes as well.  Gobble gobble!

I’m feeling the love.  Are you feeling the love?  It seems that more and more people keep catching on about this new playground.  And they want to help!  So far two fundraisers are scheduled for this November.

Saturday, November 10th, the Shepherd of the Sea Chapel in Copper Harbor is holding a Chili Luncheon from noon to 4pm.  This event also includes a baked goods auction.  Boy, if you’ve ever gone to a bake sale in Copper Harbor, you know the ladies (well, and some men) try to outdo each other.  There will be some scrumdidliumptious treats, all right!

Saturday, November 17th presents a special night out for the ladies while the boys (and some women) are out hunting.  Michigan Tech hosts a Masquerade Ball in their Union Ball Room.  This is a formal event, FOR LADIES ONLY!  Dine, dance and mingle from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm with music by Garden City Hot Club.  Tickets are $40.00 and they’re available at Jeannie’s 127 Quincy St Hancock, 906-523-5465 or through Syd Faassen 906-289-4306.  If you have facebook, see more details here!

Come support the kids by eating and having a wonderful time.  Thank you!

Wow.  What an amazing community we have at the end of the earth.  Not only do people donate to the kid’s new playground, but people make fundraisers specifically for it (as you have seen in past posts).  But, geez, not only that, people are constantly seeking grant opportunities and publicity for other options.

Did you see that thermometer?  We are getting there, my friend.  Thank you!

One of the latest gifts was $500 from Shopko’s Foundation’s Community Charitable Grant program.  How great that they have a community grant program.  Thanks Shopko!

Marty accepts the check from Shopko manager Gary Schroufnagel at the Calumet location

We even made it on weatherman John Dee’s site!  Check out www.johndee.com, and click on Current Journals.  We are mentioned at the end of the October 21st post.  Here is the excerpt, if you have a slow browser.

“ My final item on tonight’s docket is a note I got from one of the good folks in Copper Harbor that is helping to raise funds for the new playground for the harbor. She wrote me to tell me this:
“This past January when we started fundraising, Vicki and Ken at the Pines were kind enough to let me solicit funds from our dining patrons. I didn’t hit them with a hard sell, just presented them with a playground envelope, told them a little about the project and asked if they could help out with a donation. If they could, great! If they chose not to, we totally understood. The majority of our donors during that time were snowmobilers. Through their generosity, we were able to raise $7000 just from the Pines patrons alone! We were overwhelmed!!!”
Awesome job folks! The playground is going to cost a total of $145,000 (who’d of thunk they were that much, eh !?) and they have been able to raise $100,000 of that so far. If you want to read more about the project, you can visit the website that they have set up for the project and also have a Facebook page.”

John has many loyal readers from the area and all over the world.  Thanks for helping to spread the word, John!

And thank YOU for your support and interest in our project.

Every spring, the Isle Royale Queen IV cruises the coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula from the Portage Canal to its dock in Copper Harbor.  Well, then it would only be fitting that it journeys back down in the fall!  This year resident Sandi Siegmeier dreamed up the idea to make the return trip a fundraiser for the playground.

Sandi and Jack on the bow

On Tuesday, October 2nd, the Isle Royale Queen IV transported 28 guests for this cruise.  Passengers were treated to spectacular weather and an amazing palette of fall colors from the north shore and into the Portage Canal.  The guests returned to Copper Harbor via the Red Carpet Trolly.

Going under the lift bridge!

This trip raised $715 for the playground project.  Thanks goes out to Captains Donny and  John Kilpela and Sam of the IR Queen.

Don and John: Captains and brothers for life

Have you looked at that thermometer lately?  WE ARE OVER HALF WAY TO OUR GOAL!!!  Pardon me for getting so excited, but it is a milestone in this project.

With this in mind, you should meet more of the folks who have been supporting, promoting and carrying this project.

Way at the top of Brockway Mountain sits the Skytop Inn.  They have a cooler full of pop and water that they sell to thirsty shoppers.  The proceeds from each day’s loot go to support the playground.  Nice!  Thank you Clyde and Lloyd Wescoat!

The fine folks at the Gas Lite General Store have a “Playground Fund” bucket that you can drop your change into after you make your purchase.  You may as well.  If your pocket is jingling, you’ll scare away the wildlife.  Thank you to all our friends at the Gas Lite who show us where to stick our nickels and dimes!

The Isle Royale Queen IV captains inform their passengers of this project on the way back from Isle Royale.  There are a lot of people on that boat, so thank you captains for spreading the word!

Syd Faassen has been collecting receipts and donations at Econo Foods every month, and Chris O’Callahan is helping to add them up.  The receipts have brought in over $1,000, so get your fresh savings now!

You can find our little green and white envelopes at the following places in Copper Harbor.  Contributions from donation cans and envelopes come from:
Copper Harbor Welcome Center
Berry Patch
Brockway Inn
Pines Resort
Keweenaw Mountain Lodge
Mariner North
Harbor Lights Inn

So thanks again to all the little people with big hearts who keep the support flowing for the kids.  That’s what it’s all about!