Latest news with #WildlifePrairiePark
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Local nonprofits awarded big grants by Impact Central Illinois
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Eight nonprofits were awarded close to $400,000 worth of grants at the annual Impact Central Illinois meeting that was held at Five Points Washington on Tuesday. The organization's 250 members voted on which eligible nonprofits that serve the residents of Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties they would like to receive the grants. Among the winners was Wildlife Prairie Park, which was awarded a $118,000 Health & Community Wellbeing grant for their 'Park for All – Staying on Track' project. The project will replace tracks on the north loop, as the current tracks are worn down. Pioneer Station will also get some upgrades to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A wheelchair ramp will be added along with a continuous walkway from the station to the pavilion. There will also be a covered waiting area, new lighting, and a new platform at the Pioneer Station. Upgrades are set to begin after the train season in November. The runner-up for the Health & Community Wellbeing grant was the Hult Center for Healthy Living, which was awarded $3,000. Other grant winners include: The Education & Community Development Grant, which awarded $118,000 to the Neighborhood House Association to remodel their youth program. The runner-up was the Children's Home Association of IL, which was awarded $3,000. The Social Services & Basic Needs Grant was awarded $118,000 to the Midwest Food Bank for a new truck for food rescue and distribution. The runner-up was Prairie State Legal Services, which was awarded $3,000. A $30,000 Impact Grant was awarded to the Graceland Center for Purposeful Aging for their Aging with Vitality Program. The runner-up, Pelia Academy, was awarded $3,000. Impact Central Illinois is a women's collective giving organization that combines annual donations to give large grants to local causes. More information is available on its website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wildlife Prairie Park sees huge response from the community for meat donations
HANNA CITY, Ill. (WMBD) — Recently, the Wildlife Prairie Park made a social media post asking for meat donations, which garnered a huge response from members of the community. Within 24 hours of the Facebook post, the organization was able to completely fill up its meat freezer. Anne Lynn, an animal curator at the park, said each day the park unthaws 40 lbs of meat. The wolves alone eat half of that. Although the freezers are full, Wildlife Prairie Park is still accepting small amounts of meat. Right now, the park is concerned about the bird flu, so it will not be accepting any fowl meat. There are other ways to help, too. Right now, the park is looking for donations to its Animal Care Donation Fund. Lynn said the park wouldn't exist without community support. For example, when the park doesn't have to buy its own meat, it can focus on other major projects. 'It also goes to fixing up enclosures and stuff like that,' Lynn said. 'So when we take in meat and don't spend money on buying meat, that money actually goes to, like I said, other projects and other cool programming that we can do.' One animal enclosure the park is trying to fix right now is the Merrill Woods area where the carnivores normally are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Animal shelters helping you ‘fix the ex that you couldn't'
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Local animal welfare organizations are helping the heartbroken channel their feelings into a good cause. Animal shelters and wildlife conservation organizations in Central Illinois are using the season of love to raise money for their causes. Some of these include River Kitty Cafe, TAPS No-Kill Animal Shelter, and the Wildlife Prairie Park. Until Valentine's Day, River Kitty Cafe is partnering with Peoria County Animal Protection Services for its 'Neuter Your Ex' fundraising program. For $25, PCAPS will name a cat after your ex that is set to be spayed or neutered. Once the cats have healed from their surgery, the shelter will post pictures of them with their new names. Animals at the Peoria Humane Society get blessed According to Alex Menke, the kennel services manager, River Kitty Cafe will be donating all the money raised back to PCAPS. The shelter plans on using the money to help with different things they need in the cat rooms, its spay and neuter programs, as well as its trap-neuter-vaccinate,-return (TNVR) program. As of today, the café has raised over $2,000 for the shelter. 'This is our first time doing something like this. We didn't know if people would be into it— if people would really donate the $25,' Menke said. 'Our original goal was like $500. We thought that would be so cool if we raised $500.' 'So now being at $2,000,' she added, 'we're just blessed and thankful for the community so far.' TAPS No-Kill Animal Shelter in Pekin is also hosting a fundraiser during the entire month of February in the same vain. According to a Facebook post, for $10, the shelter will add a name of your choice to its kitty litter. In Hanna City, the Wildlife Prairie Park is bringing back its 'Love You or Love You Not' fundraiser. Through this program, people can donate to the park and symbolically name a cricket, rodent, or fish after someone they love or hate. 'It's not your typical chocolate or flowers that people usually get for Valentine's Day,' Brielle Kuchinski, the lead animal feeder at the park said. 'Getting a cricket, a rodent, or a fish named after you; it's just something fun, something goofy. I feel like we all kind of need that in our lives.' Kuchinski said the organization relies on extra community support. Funds raised from this program will go towards feeding and taking care of the animals, as well as any supplies needed. Crickets are $10, rodents are $25, and fish are $50. Every name submitted before Thursday will be featured in a feeding video on the organization's social media page. Kuchinski hopes this fundraiser will help raise awareness about the animals. 'Taking care of these animals is so important because a lot of these animals can't survive out in the wild,' She said. 'A lot of them are endangered, a lot of them people think are a nuisance. But here at the park, they're able to come and have fun and kind of see the cool side of the animals.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
