Fundraiser to expand Fox River group's education programs
Hoping to expand its education programs, Friends of the Fox River will hold a craft beer event next week to raise money and awareness.
For $35, fundraiser attendees can sample craft beer, listen to music and participate in a silent auction.
Best of all, organization President Gary Swick said, the cost acts as a membership fee into the Crystal Lake-based organization.
The event, called "No Clean Water, No Good Beer," will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday at Bandito Barney's Beach Club & Bordello, 10 N. River St., East Dundee.
"It's a multipronged event," Swick said. "The main thing is we're trying to raise some money for our educational programs, but we're also trying to get a different demographic interested in the organization."
The fundraiser also celebrates the organization's 25th anniversary.
The Friends of the Fox River educational outreach program is available for students, teachers and volunteers who want to help protect the river, or who want to learn more about environmental sciences, Swick said.
Through the program, an educator teaches students how to monitor sites in the Fox River Watershed, he said.
"It gives students the opportunity to collect data on water quality, look at some chemistry and look at the habitat," Swick said. "It's a very powerful experience for students."
The organization also offers training for teachers to learn how to incorporate those elements into their curriculum.
If enough funds are raised, Swick said, the hope is to eventually serve more students by hiring additional educators and purchasing the necessary resources.
This summer, Friends of the Fox River also offered a summer camp for the first time, a program that Swick said the group would like to continue and grow for next year.
"We're looking for new energy in the organization," Swick said. "The strength and ability in our organization is really only limited by our members and those associated with us."
For more information on the fundraiser, call (815) 356-6605.