Celebrating one full year....

Friends of Shimek (FOS) celebrated their first full year of operation as a state of Iowa non-profit organization last week. The board and volunteers from around southeast Iowa (21 in all) gathered at Little Mexico Restaurant in Mt. Pleasant for dinner, a business meeting and an awards program on January 5, 2013. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Board members and officers for 2013 are Ann Bennett, President, Marsha Achenbach, Vice-President, Debbie Miller, Treasurer, Lora Conrad, Secretary/Editor and Neal Hartman and Ringo Covert, Members-at-large. John Byrd, Shimek Forester, is the Board Adviser.

 

 

                                     (Front) Ringo Covert, Neal Hartman, and Ann Bennett;
                          (back) John Byrd, Lora Conrad, Marsha Achenbach, Debbie Miller

Honored at the dinner were the 2011 Volunteer of the Year and the 2012 Volunteer of the Year. The Volunteer Awards are made possible by a grant from Dr. & Mrs. John Bennett. The award is given annually to a volunteer that made exceptional contributions during the previous year.    Each honoree was presented with a certificate and a hand crafted wooden bowl made from local wood by artisan Bob Achenbach of Keosauqua.

 

  The 2011 Bennett Volunteer Award Winner was Jewel Marie McDonald who used her MorningStar Studio facilities and time to hold a fund-raiser Yoga Workshop in 2011 and ,in fact, did so again in 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

The 2012 Bennett Volunteer Award winner was Carol Eilers. Carol is the publisher and owner of Apple 'n Oats magazine. In each issue since FOS was founded she has included information about our group and its activities. In the 2012-2013 Winter issue, she gave FOS a two page, color spread to show what FOS volunteers have been doing and promote FOS.

During 2012, FOS held four group work days to paint tables, pick up cans and trash on the trails and in camp, repair horse stalls and gates, spread lime chips and rocks, clip back brush and multi-flora rose on the trails and clear downed trees from trails. Volunteers also painted the many posts that had to be replaced after vandals destroyed them this summer. Volunteers and DNR staff worked together to improve the campground and trails. A total of 432 hours of volunteer time went into this work and the development of FOS and fund raising activities. As of the end of December, FOS has raised over $1,400, most of which will go toward the re-roofing of the horse stalls. Since re-roofing of a current pen structure is estimated to cost about $3,000 and replacing the structure entirely is estimated to cost about $6,000, additional funds are needed.

The Iowa deposit cans and bottles recycling program at Shimek raised almost $300 in 2012. Riders should put their deposit cans in the cages at the equestrian campgrounds. On the group work days, bring sorted, clean cans from home to be redeemed and recycled by FOS. For 2013, FOS has initiated a Pack it in—Pack it out! Campaign asking people to not toss cans and bottles or other trash along the trails. Trash makes work for others and wastes the time of volunteers that could be used to improve the trails and facilities.

To contact FOS, send an e-mail to John Byrd at John.Byrd@dnr.iowa.gov or Lora Conrad at lpconrad@wildblue.net .