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July 3rd, 2010 Cookout at Rock Island State Park
We hope you joined us for the cookout, craft demonstrations, free concert in the Boathouse and silent auction on Saturday, July 3rd at the state park. This was our second annual July 4th fundraiser at Rock Island State Park and it was very successful! The Karfi ferry ran non-stop from 9am-5pm and had never been more busy. We arranged for perfect weather for our event which brought so many visitors to the park that day.
About 400 lunches were sold under the big tent. Picnickers enjoyed their meals in the Pagoda or on the lawn.
New 2010 T-shirts, fleece vests and postcards were on sale, along with hats, sweatshirts, Christmas ornaments, mugs, pens and pencils and Lighthouse pins. Many visitors took home park souvenirs to remember this perfect day at our favorite state park.
A Norwegian carver, a birch bark basket weaver and civil war re-enactors entertained park visitors to the accompaniment of a violinist and a dulcimer player near the picnic area.
Galynne and Markondrums performed their acoustic tunes at noon in the Boathouse. Their show included songs about the Washington Island Ferry Line as well as the Pottawatomie Lighthouse which were written by FORI member, Rick Simmons.
The second annual Silent Auction took place inside the Viking Hall of the Boathouse. Auction items included lighthouse collectibles, Pottawatomie Lighthouse picture quilts, nautical items, camping gear, beach and picnic paraphernalia, artworks, photo collections, fun baskets for kids, games, wine and cheese baskets, and much more. There was something for everyone who loves Rock Island State Park and the Pottawatomie Lighthouse. The auction raised a boatload of money for the park!
Proceeds from the day will be used for maintenance of the Boathouse and ongoing restoration of the Lighthouse along with other needy park projects.
In Wisconsin TV Show about Pottawatomie Lighthouse and Chester Thordarson
Tim Sweet, FORI Board member and Past President, stars in episodes of recent In Wisconsin segments talking about the Pottawatomie Lighthouse and Chester Thordarson's contributions to Rock Island. Ranger Randy Holm and Naturalist Paul King share the history of Rock Island and information about the Park in the third episode. Shows were broadcast weekly from Feb 11th through Feb 25th, 2010. A link to each one is listed below:
http://www.wpt2.org/npa/IW815lighthousedocent.cfm - This segment shows what it entails to be a docent at the Pottawatomie Lighthouse
http://wpt2.org/npa/IW816lighthousetour.cfm - This segment is a tour of the inside of the Pottawatomie Lighthouse
http://wpt2.org/npa/IW817thordarson.cfm - This segment shares information about Chester Thordarson and the history of Rock Island.
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