Spring Creek Partners Explanation

How does it work?

  • Individuals and businesses purchase spring creek partners hats for $250 each from their TU representative for a chapter where they want habitat work done.
  • With the purchase of a spring creek partners hat, the purchaser (partner)receives a ticket that qualifes the purchaser for gifts to be drawn at the end of the fundraising season (Usually in September). Gifts in the past have included bamboo rods, art, and canoes.
  • Using this method, tens of thousands of dollars have been raised by the Harry and Laura Nohr chapter over the past 4 years.
  • On average, the partners program has been raising about $10k per year. Each hat sale counts as dollars that go to your TU Chapter. There is no sharing of a pot.
  • The Nohr Chapter of TU will act as the clearinghouse for the funds raised, so that other TU chapters need not obtain the legal permits.
  • The money raised by each TU chapter representative for their projects will be disbursed back to the chapter projects after the annual fundraiser concludes minus the cost of the hats – roughly $15
  • Ultimately projects sell hats. The Spring Creek Partners Program is just a way to make that easy to do---We (Nohr Chapter) give them the idea, the hats, the prize drawing, the venue for the drawing, some promotional support, a money handling system, and the structure of belonging to a special conservation effort, but they have to target their donors.
  • The main purpose of involving the Nohr TU chapter is to maintain 501c3 status, which Spring Creek Partners would not have on its own. Nohr chapter is providing a central depository so that Spring Creek Partners is clearly a TU group and good for them for doing that. The secondary reasons are accounting convenience, for some insurance that the chapters actually use the money for stream work, and for collecting names if we want to do a general promotion effort.
  • The Spring Creek Partners option is open year round with the final prize drawing conducted in September of each year. The partners usually gear up in March of each year to sell hats.
  • Flyers and handouts are available from the Nohr chapter for promotional purposes.

When and Where?

  • The main event for the prize drawing will be held on Saturday, September 8, 2007 on Castle Rock Creek in Grant County otherwise known as the Spring Creek Festival.

What is the Spring Creek Festival?

The basic concept of the Spring Creek Festival began as an event that featured fly-fishing the streams of the Driftless Area. All of the learning events are held outdoors on the stream and presentations are given by guides and fishermen who fish the spring creeks of Southwestern Wisconsin, Northeast Iowa, and Southeastern Minnesota.

The events usually feature informative workshops, casting instruction for beginners, demonstrations of fly tying techniques, and many other activities. There are also programs for non-fishermen and kids. Programs in the past have included...

Beginning Fly Fishing Program, Advanced Fly Casting for Improvers, Outdoor Photography Techniques, History of Fly Fishing, On-stream techniques presented by local guides, Rod and Bucket Raffles, Fly Tying and Rod Building demonstrations, and Duck Races for kids.