The first day of spring is a day on the calendar, but we know that it is a long process requiring good timing and resilience if you are an emerging plant. Friends of the Fox River  (FOTFR) has selected the onset of spring to be our period of emerging growth. For FOTFR, April and May are very busy times with educating students, cleanups, and community events. As a subscriber to the Watershed Weekly, you are already a Friend. To continue to grow our impact, we are calling on our Friends like YOU to take a step forward with your support of FOTFR. Spring is the FOTFR season for Fund and Friend raising.

Watershed Warriors

Last year at this time we were celebrating the premiere of our film Watershed Warriors.
Many of you attended our epic launch event which raised over $6000, and produced and renewed many Friendships.

This year, we are offering a 1-minute video to inspire to you to increase your FOTFR support. Our 2024 goal is to Fund-raise an additional $10,000, and Friend-raise 24 of you as a Volunteer. FOTFR meets our Friends where they are, but we are asking YOU to step up your financial support and/or personal involvement.

Friend Raising

Click the link to offer your time, skills, and experiences to help us with our various initiatives. We will contact you to discuss your interests and availability to find a good FOTFR fit for you.

We are building our education team for the spring school season and summer camp.
Assistance at events with registrations, providing information, and operations are scheduled needs. We ran 10 fund raising initiatives last year; all of those events need support staff.
Maintenance inside and out at the Schweitzer Environmental Center is scheduled monthly.
The essential planning and implementation of the necessary work to protect the watershed takes place in monthly committee work sessions.
Help with regular communication with the public through various media formats is a need for FOTFR. We need representation throughout the watershed, especially in Wisconsin.

The impacts that FOTFR has are limited only by our human resource capacity. Our work is only limited by our group’s capabilities. Please consider what you can offer to help FOTFR grow this spring. Click to volunteer your valuable services.

Fund Raising

There is no shortage of the need for FOTFR’s education, advocacy, and restoration work throughout our 200-mile-long watershed. Not everyone can offer their services as a Volunteer. Financial support is the limiting factor for staff providing FOTFR services. Thank you if you are currently a supporting Friend. We are requesting that all of our Friends help us emerge this spring with stepping forward with your generous giving. Consider increasing your one-time donation or converting your giving to a reoccurring format. If you are not currently a financial supporter, please offer what is practical for you.

As I was writing this, I received a call from an 84 year old man who read an article in The Voice about a FOTFR presentation to the Aurora Lions Club. That inspired him to offer a donation to FOTFR for some gloves and bags for cleanups. We chatted about his North Aurora days hunting, fishing and ice skating. His offering a gift meant a lot to him, and it meant a lot to me personally.  He was stepping forward with support.

It Takes Friends to Make it Really Happen

The work that FOTFR does requires many supporters and partners. Together, WE Keep on Fixin’ the Fox. We are grateful to our municipal, organizational, business, and individual Friends. Last week, a long-time best Friend, the Elgin Chapter of the Izaak Walton League presented FOTFR with a gift to support our education efforts. We have similar missions but different tools. That got us halfway to our Fund-raising goal. Also last week, a long time FOTFR Friend came on as a new Board Member. A significant addition toward our Friend Raising goal. Please help us emerge more vibrantly this spring with your step forward as a volunteer or with additional financial support.

Your Grateful Friend,