News & Events

River Walk Art Fest July 12
July 2008

It's a brand new family event, which celebrates a rich tradition of talented artists and performers in Miami County. The River Walk Art Fest will feature a variety of artists' displays and live entertainment on Saturday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the garden behind the depot and along the river walk. Admission is free.

The public will be able to view and purchase finished works from area artists, as well as watch the creative process in action as artists work on new pieces. Participating artists include Maria Cook, Dan Harshman, Sue Laymon, Jane McCaulley, Cleo Metcalf, Kenton Ridenour and Holliday Smith.

The Swampwater Stompers will get the entertainment fun going with their Dixieland jazz style music in the Cole Porter Pavilion directly behind the depot, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Limited seating will be provided, but the public is also welcome to bring their own chairs.

Children's Theatre Workshop will be performing their delightful one act plays in the depot at 12 p.m. and again at 5 p.m. Jayne Kesler's Readers' Theatre group will do a performance about the multi-faceted art of quilting at 1:30 p.m. at the Cole Porter Pavilion.

Backdoor Bakery and Caf̩ du Cirque will sell refreshments. And Yater's Farmers' Market will be nearby at the corner of Canal and Miami Streets.

Plus, there will be a make-and-take art area for kids, so they can create their own works of art to take home.

The River Walk Art Fest is a project of the Miami County Arts Council. The newly created Arts Council is an initiative of the Miami County Community Foundation. The mission of the Arts Council is to elevate the culture of our community by promoting the many talented artists in Miami County.

"Most people are amazed when they discover the wealth of creative talent right here in Miami County," said Jenni Marsh of the Miami County Community Foundation. "We not only have a rich history of artistic talent, but there is continuing vitality in Miami County's present artistic community."

If you would like more information, please call the Community Foundation at 475-2859.

Community Foundation Funds New Signage
June 2008

Grissom Air Museum Director, Andrew Cougill, shows Miami County Community Foundation Associate Director, Jenni Marsh, one of the new signs purchased with grant funds from the Community Foundation. They are standing before the legendary WWII war bird, the B-17.

Grissom Air Museum draws visitors from around the world. Now those visitors will be treated in the outdoor exhibit area to new descriptive signage, complete with graphs and photos. The new signs were made possible by a grant from the Miami County Community Foundation.

Installation of the new signs was completed this spring, just in time for the museum's busy season. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during the summer. Admission is only $4 for adults, $3 for veterans, seniors, students and groups of 15 or more. Children six and under are free.

"These signs really enhance visitors' experience in the air park," said Community Foundation Associate Director, Jenni Marsh. "We are pleased we could contribute such a fine addition to a star attraction like the Grissom Air Museum."

If you would like more information about the Grissom Air Museum, call 765-689-8011.

Psi Iota Xi Supports BOOKS
May 2008

Psi Iota Xi President Cassie Smith (left) and Vice President Pam Poff (far right) present BOOKS Coordinator Kim Martino with a check. This was the first disbursement from the sorority's fund for BOOKS.

Psi Iota Xi recently presented Books Offer Our Kids Success (BOOKS) Coordinator, Kim Martino, with a check for the BOOKS program.

The philanthropic sorority has a permanently endowed fund with the Miami County Community Foundation. They have designated the purpose of the fund to promote literacy through the BOOKS initiative.

This initiative purchases a new book for every kindergartener attending South Peru Early Childhood Learning Center, Pipe Creek Elementary, North Miami Elementary and St. Charles schools during the months of the school year. The first year of this county-wide initiative was very successful. Over 3,600 books were distributed.

While the Psi Iota Xi Fund will help with the program's sustainability, the program still requires community support. The committee in charge of the program has already begun soliciting funds for the upcoming school year's book purchases.

"Psi Iota Xi plays a vital role in our community through their charitable work," said Jenni Marsh, Associate Director of the Community Foundation. "We are proud to serve them through their endowed fund. Thanks to their generosity, the outstanding BOOKS initiative will have continued support."

If you would like more information, please contact Marsh by calling 765-475-2859 or by e-mailing miami@nicf.org.

Boomerang Sisterhood Awards Grants
May 2008

On May 1, The Boomerang Sisterhood came together to vote for their first grant cycle and celebrate the women in our community at "Ladies' Night Out." Of the nearly 70 members of the 2007-2008 Membership Year, 37 members attended and voted.

Any paid/paying Boomerang Sister, who said she wanted to serve on the grants committee, was invited to participate in initial selection process. The grants committee included: Edwina Beck, Catherine Comerford, Jayne Kesler, Connie Cutler, Jackie Frank, Tonia Ray, Helene Banina, Kim Martino, LaVonne Eddy, Anna Jo McKaig, Rosemary Rice, Kristi Eddy and Barb Conner. Committee members filled out conflict of interest forms, recused themselves and left the room during any discussion of projects they might be partial to.

From the 13 applicants, the committee selected six projects to appear on the ballot for the entire membership to vote on. They included:

• Helping Hands, Project Brighter Tomorrow
• Project SOAR, Snacks for nutritional/physical component of their curriculum
• Peru Little League, Challenger Division for mentally and physically challenged kids
• Beta Sigma Phi, Dental clinic for the under privileged
• Children's Theatre Workshop, 2008-2009 Workshop
• BOOKS, to purchase books for next year's kindergarteners

Voting members of the Sisterhood, ranked these projects according to their preference for funding, (with 1 being the project they most wanted to fund, and 6 being the project they least wanted to fund). Then we tallied up the votes, until they reached the $4,000 total we had available to grant this year.

Because of the way the ranking fell, every applicant on the ballot was eligible to receive some amount of funding. The following organizations received funding:

• Helping Hands, $1,000
• Project SOAR, $1,000
• BOOKS, $1,000
• Dental Clinic, $500
• Peru Little League, $275
• Children's Theatre Workshop, $225

The next Boomerang Grant Cycle will begin in the winter of 2009.

Great Time was had at Dancing with the Stars 2008
March 2008

Clyde and Tammy Fenton won the People's Choice trophy by bringing in the most votes (dollars) from the audience for the benefit of the Community Foundation. Clyde is a teacher at Peru Jr. High, and Tammy works at Annie's Attic. They have danced for years and even given a few lessons. They danced to "Perfidia" from the movie "Shall We Dance?"

"We had a panel of judges to award three other prizes," explained Jenni Marsh, Associate Director of the Community Foundation. "Debbie Alwine, dance instructor and owner of the Ballet Arts Studio. Donna Noble, experienced ballroom dancer. Like the TV show, we had an actor portray the part of a pompous British judge, whom audiences love to 'boo.' 'Maximilian Wigglebottom' was portrayed by actor, Jim Walker."

Col. Larry and Vicki Wheeler were the judge's pick for most creative performance. They danced to the Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," dressed in WWII costumes (she was dressed as a nurse and he was in an Air Force uniform, loaned to him by the Grissom Air Museum).

Hiram and Stella Hoover were the judge's pick for best technical performance. They did a country western waltz to an Ann Murray song. They are experienced dancers, and a part of the Renegade Dance Group in Wabash.

Mother-daughter team, Tyra Walker and Jenny Bowman were the judge's pick for overall performance. They danced to the "Sisters" song from the movie "White Christmas." To cap the evening off, Jim Walker and Bruce Embrey followed their performance as Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby did in the movie, wearing feather boas and garters on their socks, and they sang the "Sisters" song together -- live.

Other performers included: Arch Wiltshire and janice Williams who danced to "I Wouldn't Want to be Like You" by the Alan Parsons Project; and Tim and Keri Davies who danced to "I've had the Time of My Life," the theme from "Dirty Dancing." There was also an exhibition performance by last year's Dancing with the Stars' People's Choice trophy winners, Andrew and Nancy Lipari.

"All the dancers did an outstanding job of entertaining the crowd," Marsh said. "Plus, the Community Foundation raised approximately $1,500, which will help us continue to serve this great community!"

BOOKS Program Puts Inspiration in the Hands
and Homes of Miami County Kindergarteners
September 2007

Books offer all sorts of things for children, but mostly success. Kids who develop a love of reading and learning are more likely to succeed in school and life. That's why a group of educators is working hard to raise money to buy Miami County kindergarteners a new book that they can take home and keep, every month that they are in school. This initiative is made possible through a new program called "BOOKS" Books Offer Our Kids Success, and is being administered by the Miami County Community Foundation.

"The enthusiasm of the students as they begin to learn to read is infectious," commented Reading Recovery educator, Kim Martino. "Our hope is that their enthusiasm will spread through their whole family, and everyone will take the opportunity to enjoy reading together."

Martino teaches at Elmwood Primary Learning Center. A previous employee of Peru Schools initiated the effort to collect donations to buy books for school children in years past, and Martino wanted to carry on that tradition. She also wanted to see other Miami County kindergarteners benefit as those in Peru had done, so she contacted educators throughout the county, and began fundraising in earnest. This school year kindergarteners in North Miami, Maconaquah, Peru, and St. Charles will receive books.

Donors can designate which school, or schools, should receive books purchased with their gift. Recognition of donors will be given in the books purchased with their gift and through media releases. Every dollar given buys one book. So a gift of $30 will purchase enough books for one to two classes. A gift of $450 buys a month's supply of books for the entire county.

"Thanks to the generosity of donors we have enough funds to purchase books up through December," Martino explained. "We need funds for the remainder of the school year, as well as for the program's sustainability."

Martino hopes there will be a day when the teachers don't have to work so hard to raise funds every year. Psi Iota Xi, the philanthropic sorority, has taken steps toward reaching this goal. Several years ago the sorority created a permanently endowed fund with the Community Foundation. The purpose was to support their charitable work. The sorority voted recently to change the purpose of that fund, so it now supports BOOKS.

"We are so appreciative of the sorority's support of this program," Associate Director of the Community Foundation, Jenni Marsh said. "Not only will their fund provide on-going support for BOOKS forever, but it gives other donors a vehicle to make a gift that will last forever. Because the fund is permanently endowed, the principal of the gift is protected so it will last for perpetuity, thereby giving the program some sustainability as well as the potential for growth."

Martino said the first books to be distributed will be "If You Give a Pig a Pancake," by Laura Numeroff and "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse," by Kevin Henkes.

"These are great books that are fun to read," Martino enthused, "We hope the kindergarteners and their families enjoy reading them together!"

Questions about the BOOKS program should be directed to Jenni Marsh at the Community Foundation, by calling 765-475-2859 or e-mail miami@nicf.org.