Mound House ‘Friends’ donate $5,000 check
Fundraising efforts from a supporting non-profit organization will help Town of Fort Myers Beach officials in its quest to open up a structure that should expand the archaeological education and further reveal 2,000 years of island life featuring Calusa Indian culture through extended tours and programs.
Barbara Hill, president of the Friends of the Mound House, presented a check for $5,000 during the Town Council meeting last week. The donation is in support of the Mound House, which is expected to open as a museum in the near future. According to Mound House Museum Director Alison Giesen, the money will be used for conservation supplies for the care of the collections.
With the recent monetary donation, Hill stated the Friends of the Mound House group has given $35,000 to Estero Island’s oldest standing structure and its property over the past several years. She applauds Giesen for having an “open mind” and passion toward future fundraisers.
“Alison is so enthusiastic and very excited about Mound House,” said Hill. “The main thing is to open up the museum and use that property. It’s a real jewel on the island.”
Hill believes memorial benches could be a future fundraising idea and will pitch it to the “Friends” at their upcoming meeting this Thursday, Jan. 15. The thought would be to have people donate money to purchase benches and have memorial plaques on them to commemorate loved ones who have passed.
Past contributions from the Friends of the Mound House represent net proceeds from previous fundraisers to help support Mound House capital improvement projects such as the newly completed Calusa “Stories Beneath our Feet” underground exhibit and landscape lighting.
“In the past, we have had tea events, luncheons and fashion shows and luminaries to raise funds,” said Hill.
The mission of the Friends of the Mound House is “to promote interest in the historical Mound House, to assist the staff of the Mound House in the development of a volunteer program and support the Mound House financially.”
The “Friends” Group offers a variety of volunteer opportunities that help to further the mission of the Mound House. If you are interested in becoming a member of this organization, call the Mound House at 765-0865 for more information. Meetings are held the third Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. and are open to the public. January’s meeting will be held at the Library and then all future meetings will be held at the Mound House located at 415 Connecticut St.
The Friends of the Mound House was founded November 17, 2005 as a 501 c (3) non-profit Florida corporation, organized for charitable purposes to enhance and perpetuate the historical Mound House at Fort Myers Beach, Florida. William (Bill) Grace, whose great-grandparents built the Mound House, was one of the incorporators.
In 2006, the Friends of the Mound House entered into an agreement with the Town of Fort Myers Beach to serve as a Citizen Support Organization for the Mound House, building awareness and support through membership, programs and fundraising activities.
Together with support from the community, Friends of the Mound House has raised more than $20,000 in net proceeds through fundraising efforts to benefit the Mound House Stories Beneath Our Feet exhibit within the Calusa shell mound alone. In 2010, Friends grew to 80 members, with volunteers donating their time to help educate adults and youth to the wonder of this historic cultural jewel in the making.
One can send contributions to: Friends of the Mound House, Inc., P. O. Box 154, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 .
Mound House volunteers to change meeting dates
Mound House volunteer meetings will be changing days, times and locations possibly monthly. They will no longer be on the second Friday of every month at Newton Cottage.
The next volunteer meeting is scheduled at the Mound House for Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 8 a.m. A shuttle will run from the overflow Baptist Beach parking lot starting at 7:45 a.m. Call 765-0865 for more information.
-Alison Giesen contributed to this report.