Major Gifts and Gift Planning
Tribute Dinner Honors Heritage Sponsors Karen and Jim Killen
In June, internationally renowned wildlife artist Jim Killen and his wife Karen were honored by more than 175 friends and family at a tribute dinner held in their hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota. The attendees celebrated the generous philanthropic support of the Killens and their more than 35 years of support for Ducks Unlimited.
Jim Killen is a dedicated con-servationist as well as an avid outdoorsman, and his paintings reflect his passion for waterfowl, wildlife, and nature. He was named Ducks Unlimited International Artist of the Year in 1993 and 2003. He was also selected DU Artist of the Year in 1984. Jim and Karen have been DU Major Sponsors since 1986 and are Charter Members of the Feather Society. During the tribute dinner, they stepped up their support by becoming Heritage Sponsors.
The dinner, chaired by Jim and Karen's son John, raised more than $100,000 in cash and pledges for DU's Living Lakes Conservation Initiative. Launched in July 2004, the Living Lakes Initiative improves waterfowl migration habitat by enhancing, protecting, and restoring shallow lakes throughout Minnesota and Iowa. In recognition of the Killens' dedication to conservation, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is renaming the Kavanagh Tract Wetland located in Big Stone County in their honor. The Killen Tribute Wetland Project will be dedicated this spring.
Ducks Unlimited would like to express its appreciation to Jim and Karen Killen, the dedicated friends and volunteers who participated in the event's success, and major corporate underwriters Wild Wings, WinCraft, Uline, Technigraph Logo, and Cabela's.
Silver Teal Award Presented to Shell Pipeline
In July, Ducks Unlimited President Dr. Jim Hulbert (middle) and Louisiana State Chairman Mike Benge (right) presented DU's Silver Teal Award to Barney Callahan, Shell Pipeline Company representative, at the Louisiana DU state convention in New Orleans. The award was presented in recognition of Shell Pipeline Company's recent donation of nearly $45,000 worth of pipe used to restore 1,500 acres of wetlands throughout Louisiana and Mississippi during the past year.
Shell Oil and its subsidiaries have been generous benefactors of DU and its conservation work in the southeastern United States. In 2004, DU received a grant of $100,000 from the Shell Oil Company to help fund restoration of critical wetlands in Louisiana.
Tyson Foods Supports the Lower Obion River Project
Tyson Foods Inc. of Union City, Tennessee, has donated $65,000 in support of the Lower Obion River Project in west Tennessee. The gift will be used to help reestablish bottomland hardwoods on 312 acres of highly altered wetland habitat.
The lower Obion River basin is an important wintering area for waterfowl and other bird species migrating along the Mississippi Flyway. Ducks Unlimited, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation, and Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation have partnered to enhance and protect more than 5,800 acres of wetland habitat in this waterfowl-rich area of western Tennessee. Support for this critical restoration is being provided through a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant and by the generosity of private individuals and groups like Tyson Foods.
“Tyson Foods is proud to support Ducks Unlimited's wetlands conservation and restoration work in the lower Obion River basin,” says Kevin Willis, complex environmental manager. “Tyson Foods' core values state that we serve as stewards of the animals, land, and environment entrusted to us. This project provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to those core values. We look forward to working with DU on the project and on future efforts that benefit our environment, wildlife, and the people in our community.”
CropLife America and DU Celebrate New Partnership
CropLife America and Ducks Unlimited are partnering in a novel wildlife conservation-technology initiative. Established in 1933, CropLife America represents the developers, manufacturers, formulators, and distributors of plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the United States.
The goal of this five-year initiative is to expand the use of plant science technology in the restoration and management of habitat for the benefit of North America 's waterfowl and other wildlife. By contributing herbicides, fungicides, and technical assistance, the member companies of CropLife America are working with DU to manage invasive weeds and enhance natural habitat in key waterfowl landscapes across the United States.
In late September, during CropLife America 's annual general meeting in Orlando, Florida, DU Chairman of the Board John Tomke joined CropLife executives and member companies to wrap up the first year of this successful partnership. In recognition of CropLife's leadership, Tomke, who was a featured speaker at the general meeting, presented a mallard decoy to Jay Vroom, president of CropLife America and chairman of the CropLife America Foundation. Golden Teal Awards were presented to Dow Agrosciences LLC ( Indianapolis, Indiana ), Monsanto Company ( St. Louis, Missouri ), and DuPont ( Wilmington, Delaware ) for each donating $100,000 in herbicides. SePRO Corporation ( Carmel, Indiana ) received the Golden Teal Award for its $5,000 contribution of herbicide. Syngenta ( Greensboro, North Carolina ) was presented with the Silver Teal Award for its fungicide and herbicide contribution of $49,000.
“We are very pleased that a number of our member companies are contributing to our novel conservation initiative with Ducks Unlimited,” Vroom said. “The exciting projects undertaken thus far demonstrate the positive role that plant science technology is playing in controlling invasive weeds and revitalizing wildlife habitat. This is a ‘win-win' for everyone involved, especially the waterfowl.”
Hamilton Family Honored with Second Cairn Dedication
The Hamilton Family Wetland Project (Fred and Jane Hamilton) located on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near Brigham City, Utah, is the second of two dedications honoring the family's generosity. The project restored seven brood ponds and 700 acres of grasslands and wetlands on the refuge. One of the largest national wildlife refuges in the western United States, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is managed specifically for millions of waterfowl and other migratory water birds that visit Great Salt Lake.
Restoration of this project was made possible through a tribute dinner held on November 20, 2002, at the Colorado governor's mansion in Denver. More than 26 Major Donors contributed to the success of this dinner, which raised more than $330,000. The first project dedication, the Ferris F. Hamilton Memorial Project, was held on April 24, 2004, near Brush, Colorado. Ferris F. Hamilton was one of DU's first vice presidents.