Our Projects & Events

FORI assists Rock Island State Park with all sorts of projects and volunteer work.  This is a list of the projects that have been completed at the park since the Friends organization was formed.  Projects are funded by donations and grants, for the most part.  The FORI Board determines how and when to spend the funds that have been raised through donations and sales of park merchandise in conjunction with the DNR Park Manager.  Our efforts have helped keep Rock Island State Park operating well since 1994.

Lighthouse Museum Operation and Maintenance

• Lighthouse Tours & Live-In Docents
• Lighthouse Trim Painted
• Lighthouse Shutters, Gutters & Access Path Repairs
• Lighthouse Museum
• Lighthouse Lantern Room
• Rugs for the Lighthouse
• Replace Lighthouse Summer Kitchen Floor
• Water Storage Tanks for Lighthouse Well

 

Boathouse Museum Maintenance

• Thordarson Furniture UV Protection
• Refinish Boathouse Floors
• Organize Thordarson Memorabilia Room in Boathouse
• Create Photo Displays in the Boathouse
• Refurbish Thordarson Furniture in Boathouse
• Create standards and cords to protect Thordarson Furniture in Boathouse
• Refurbish Thordarson Barroom in Boathouse
• Establish FORI Merchandise Storeroom in Boathouse

 

Cemetery Maintenance

• Corbin Memorial Cemetery Stone
• Replace Lighthouse Cemetery Fence
• Refurbish Beach Cemetery Fence

 

Fundraisers

• Annual Independence Day Fundraiser Picnic
• Firewood Concession
• Annual Lighthouse Festival Tours
• Sesquicentennial Celebration for Pottawatomie Lighthouse
• Dinner & Silent Auction Celebration of the Opening of the Pottawatomie Lighthouse Museum

 

Support Park Buildings and Operations

• Carts for Campers
• New FORI UTV
• New Flush Toilets Donated by Kohler Co.
• Information Kiosk near Park Dock
• Refurbish Pit Toilets in Campground
• Refurbish Dewey Cottage and Storage Shed
• Build Roof on Woodlot
• Firewood Concession

 

Support Eagle Scout Projects

• Benches throughout the Park
• Lighthouse Cliffside Fence
• Lighthouse Flagpole Restoration
• Lighthouse Solar Well Cover and Storage Battery Housing
• Algonquin Nature Trail Signs

 

Special Projects

• Memorial Bench for Paul King on the Boathouse Deck

 

Maintain Park History

• Restore historical photos from the Thordarson era
• Create an archive of historical Thordarson negatives from the 1920-30's