The Rec Center recently received a donation of a brand new Hoist Leg Press for our workout room. Thank you so much for the generous donor this beautiful piece of equipment!
Washington Island Foundation, INC and Washington Island Recreation Center Letter
WASHINGTON ISLAND FOUNDATION, INC. and WASHINGTON ISLAND RECREATION CENTER
Post Office Box 68 – Washington Island, Wisconsin 54246
November 2019
Dear Friends,
This letter is an "historic first!" Together, the Washington Island Foundation (WIF) and the Mosling Rec Center (the Rec) are writing to make you aware of two important developments.
The first is that the WIF has had to inform the Town Board that starting in 2020, it will no longer be able to finance the Rec's operations by withdrawing principal from the Endowment fund. The original intent of the Mosling's gift to the Town was that the WIF would only draw on Endowment income to support the Rec. In practice, the WIF has drawn upon both Endowment income and principal through the years to distribute $3.2 million to the Town of Washington, providing primary support for the Rec. Unfortunately, this has resulted in the Endowment reaching a point where it can no longer sustain funding at levels it has in the past. The WIF, the Rec, and the Town Board have all had to face the reality that continuing to withdraw principal from the Endowment fund would risk having to close the doors to the Rec within a few short years. Moving forward, the Foundation will launch a major campaign in 2020 to replenish Endowment funds to a level which can fully fund the Rec from Endowment income.
The second important development is that the FOUNDATION HAS RECEIVED A $25,000 UNRESTRICTED YEAR-END GIFT. The WIF Board has decided to use this gift as a Challenge Grant for the Rec Center. We are challenging the community to use this $25,000 gift as seed money towards 2020 funding for the Rec. Between now and year’s end, we hope you’ll join us in supporting this matching Challenge Grant. Doing so will enable the Rec to raise funds that are vital to its financial well-being. And, by sharing this gift, we enable the Foundation to support the Rec while remaining within the parameters of its own financial realities. It also provides a transitional time to usher in a new era of mutual support between the Rec, the WIF and the Town Board, creating a new approach to supporting this important Island treasure.
We're confident you'll agree that the Mosling Rec Center is a significant element in the Island's lifestyle – one well-worth your financial commitment. We hope to see you at the Rec often during the upcoming winter months and throughout the year - in the pool, the weight room, at a class or social gathering. We encourage you to become a member or renew your membership and take full advantage of all the Rec has to offer. Donation and membership information is enclosed with this letter.
We ask you to donate at the most generous level you can to keep the Rec flourishing as a resource for Islanders and visitors for years to come. Thank you for joining us in support of the Rec.
Sincerely,
The Washington Island Foundation, Inc. Board and the Recreation Center Committee
Carolyn Foss, President Hoyt Purinton Daniel Nerenhausen, President Helene Meyer Dave Tilton Carolyn Bernstein Kelly Jorgenson Jim Catlin Dan Westbrook Bunny Buxton Tom Nikolai Daniel Nerenhausen Jan Fisco Richard Tobey, Town Board Representative Katie McGrane, Rec Center Manager
Washington Island Recreation Center & Washington Island Foundation, Inc.
⃝ Yes! I would like my/our donation of $_________made by Dec. 31, 2019 to be matched in the Rec Center Year-End Challenge for the programs and events offered at the Rec.
Please make checks out to the W.I. Foundation or Rec Center, include credit card information in the enclosed envelope or go to “Donate” at www.moslingreccenter.org.
Please return this portion with your donation to the W.I. Foundation/Rec Center Year-End Challenge.
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⃝ Yes! I would like to support the Rec Center by becoming a member.
Premier Memberships are available. Ask the Rec Center for more details.
Annual Memberships Monthly Pass
_____$ 440.00 FAMILY – Includes immediate family – 2 adults living _______ $140.00 in the same home and their dependent children plus foster children and foreign exchange students under age 21 _____$ 220.00 ADULT – Aged 21 to 64 – To be used by named only _______$ 70.00
_____$ 200.00 SENIOR CITIZEN – Aged 65+ - To be used by name only ______$ 65.00
_____$ 70.00 YOUTH – Age up to 21, full-time student up to age 24
(All amounts for memberships and passes include 5 ½% sales tax.)
Please make checks out to the W.I. Rec Center, include credit card information
in the enclosed envelope or go to “Become a Member” at www.moslingreccenter.org.
Please return this portion to sign up for a membership at the Rec.
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⃝ Yes! I would like my/our donation of $____________ to build the endowment of the Washington Island Foundation for the purpose of long-term support of the Rec Center. In addition, I pledge to make a Legacy gift through a ___ will or bequest, ___ gift of stock, ___IRA, ___ gift of real estate or
_____ life insurance policy. Please contact carolyn.y.foss@gmail.com in confidence.
All donations to the W.I. Foundation dated on/after Jan. 1, 2020 will be applied to the Endowment only.
Please make checks out to the W.I. Foundation, Inc.
(The W.I. Foundation is also identified as the Washington Community Foundation.)
Please return this portion with your donation to the W.I. Foundation Endowment Fund.
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Rec Center and/or WI Foundation, P.O. Box 68, Washington Island, WI 54246
920-847-2226 manager@moslingreccenter.org
Thank you for your care and support of the W.I. Rec Center and W.I. Foundation!
Snow Conditions
We would like to keep everyone informed that if the school is closed the Recreation Center will be closed as well. I would like to keep our staff members safe at home if the roads are not good. I hope everyone will understand. PLEASE PLEASE call before heading to the Rec to see if we are open. I will try and keep the website up to date. Safety first. Thank you!
To My Volunteers
We made it thorough another crazy summer here at the Rec. We had great weather for all of our fundraising events too. I would like to personal thank everyone that helped to make our events a success, without my volunteers these events would not be able to run smoothly and I greatly appreciate everyone’s help. From our color run to our Rec run, the inflatables at the fair to selling ice cream at the barbecue I had great support and couldn’t have asked for better helpers. For those helpers behind the scene wither it was a donation or just support over the phone or donation of food, you are just as much appreciated! Thank you so much, until our next event!!!!
Snow storm
Due to the snow and blowing the Rec Center we are closing the Rec Center at noon. We will not be open from 3 to 8 pm Thank you for understanding. Stay home and be safe!
The Rec has met The 2018 Revenue Challenge! Thank you everyone!!
The Rec Center and W.I. Foundation successfully met the 2018 Revenue Challenge
put before us by generous Anonymous Donors. The Challenge was to double the
revenue of the Rec Center as compared to 2016 and to “increase community
awareness and to promote exercise and wellness through community
participation in (the Rec’s) programs and classes”.
Increasing paid memberships and daily use, adding Challenge Memberships and
events like the 30-for-30 Challenges, offering established and new classes, holding
a community Health Fair in collaboration with WICHP, conducting the Rec Run
and Color Run, providing activities for children and expanding the Rec’s “family”
by including daily passes in the Season of Lights greetings were some of the ways
used to accomplish the goal.
The result of this challenge turns out to be two-fold. First, the Rec/W.I.
Foundation will soon receive unrestricted funds in the amount of approximately
$55,000. Second, due to the increased revenue of the Rec Center, receiving a
separate, generous anonymous gift towards repairs of the pool, along with
donations to the Foundation in 2018 which fully reached goals from both a
“Board Members and Others” matching fund and a special Spring Campaign for
the W.I. Foundation, the draw from the principal of the W.I. Foundation
Endowment was only $30,000 in 2018. Compare that to an average of $135,000
over the past eight years (and earlier).
Looking back to 1989, the Rec’s first full year of operation, the Foundation’s
financial support of the Rec has never been less than $71,020. In 2018, it was
$53,075. This kept the endowment in a stable position in 2018.
As always, efforts like these along your continuing financial support and care for
the Rec and W.I. Foundation are the keys to a healthy future. Thank you!
Revenue Challenge Update
Dear Friends of the W.I. Foundation and Rec Center,
It's time to send another update on our 2018 Revenue Challenge progress and ways to help meet the goal of doubling the revenue of the Rec in 2018 as compared to 2016. The goal is a little over $110,000 (2016’s revenue of $55,000 x 2). This pie chart shows the progress through September.
We have almost $30,000 in revenues to add in these last three months of the year to meet the challenge and receive $55,000 in unrestricted matching funds. Along with providing critically needed finances for the Rec Center, a priority list of building maintenance items has been identified that, if successful, this challenge grant will help address.
How can you help? Become a member if you aren’t already and consider becoming a Challenge Member in any amount over the cost of a regular membership. Purchase a membership as a gift. Participate in the Rec’s next 30-for-30 exercise challenge beginning November 15. Sign up for a class. Honor your friends and family or remember a loved one with a gift of light on a tree at the Rec (and for this challenge year only, a half- day pass at the Rec will be sent to those you honor) through a Rec Center Season of Lights holiday greeting for a minimum $5 fee (with a suggested $10 fee for this challenge year) per recipient.
Because for this challenge, it is only Rec Center revenues that count, we encourage you to focus your generosity towards the Rec Center in the ways shown above as you are able through December 31,2018.
It will be good for your health and the health of the Rec!
Bounce Houses at the Fair
August 18th the Mosling Recreation Center will be having bounce houses at the fair. Come have a bouncing good time from 11:30 to 3:00. Open to all ages.
Upcoming fundraiser August 13th, 2018 at 7:30 pm at the TPAC
Come to the TPAC for a good time this Monday!!!! Going to be a good time. Buckets of Rain will be performing the songs of Bob Dylan!!
Rec Run 2018
Thank you to everyone for a great 25th annual Rec Run. We had over 215 participants which is fantastic. The weather was perfect and the runners were great. A huge thanks to the sponsors on our t-shirts and to all my volunteers. All of this would not have been possible with out the help from our community. This year not only did we have Firefighters run, but also Coast Guard running and helping with the event. So thank you! Mark your calendars for next years run July 27th. Until then keep running!
