Crawford County Community Fund 11th annual County Leadership Awards

The Crawford County Community Fund (CCCF) held their 11th Annual Crawford County Leadership Awards on April 20 at the Old Oak Inn, Soldiers Grove.  The Fund’s mission is to serve the needs of the community and to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us.
The evening started off with a welcome address by CCCF Chair Jane Holzhauer and was followed by the presentation of awards by CCCF board member Pete Flesch.
Leadership Award recipients were Cody Mullikin/C4 Car Club, Mike Mara, Boy Scouts of America, and Lt. Ryan Fradette, Crawford County Sheriff Department. The 2023 CCCF grant recipients were Couleecap – Homeless Prevention Program-- $3,000.00, Fennimore Medical PdC – Fighting STIs in our Community Project- $1,800.00, Mississippi Valley Conservancy – Kickapoo Caverns Interpretive Center-- $1,050.00, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Foundation – Charger Dream Fund--$1,000.00, and Ferryville Farmer’s Market Development and Growth-- $1,400.00.
Cody Mullikin/C4 Car Club is an organization for automotive enthusiasts that has been active in Crawford County for a number of years. Besides organizing car shows and cruses, they have given back to the communities of Crawford County by making monetary donations to the Eastman ballpark and the Wauzeka ballpark, boat landing and Veterans Memorial. They recently purchased 14 American flags to donate to the local towns and Villages, and they participate in the Adopt a Highway program, helping to maintain the beauty of State Highway 60.
Mike Mara for his work with the Boy Scouts of America.. Mike Mara has been a Scout Master for over 30 years. During that time he has had the opportunity to mentor many Eagle Scouts as they engaged in projects to improve their communities and enhance their local parks. The person who nominated him says “Mike just does a great job. He gets along well with everyone. He encourages without being pushy. Mike works alongside the boys while guiding them”
Lt. Ryan Fradette, Crawford County Sheriff Department, is a member of the county wide Crimestoppers helping educate youth about crime prevention and helping the board operation. He is on many committees including those with drug court, domestic and sexual abuse and works in conjunction with human services on all kinds of community issues and problem solving. Fradette is also working with local fire and ems to create and plan for rescue task force and many other community wide affairs involving critical incidents. Ryan was one of the founders and starters of our project life saver program where we provide dementia and Alzheimer’s or autistic citizens with tracking devices so we can locate them when they go missing with tracking units.
Couleecap’s mission is to fight poverty and promote self-sufficiency, economic development, and social justice in Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe, and Vernon counties. Couleecap has been the area Community Action Agency for more than 56 years, and currently operates over 20 programs. In 2021, more than 20,200 low income people benefitted from Couleecap’s programs. The significance of Couleecap’s Homeless Prevention Program is to provide housing assistance to individuals and families who are at imminent risk of being evicted from their homes in Crawford County. The demand for homeless prevention services in Crawford County is very high.
Fennimore Medical is a primary care medical clinic serving low income, uninsured and underinsured residents of Southwest Wisconsin and Northeast Iowa. Fennimore Medical lowers costs by not taking insurance, and instead charge $49 for an office visit.
Mississippi Valley Conservancy (MVC) is a regional, non-profit land trust based in La Crosse. Kickapoo Caverns is a unique property that offers an educational experience like no other in the area. It serves as a learning environment to help protect wildlife species in peril – three species of bats hibernate in the cave, and one is federally threatened. Utilizing Kickapoo Caverns to educate the community about the cave as a natural resource that’s important to wildlife will be a collaborative effort between MVC, the Wisc DNR, and the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at UW-La Crosse.
The Charger Dream Fund  objective is to provide resources to students who are working through a financial emergency. Student support programs funded by the Foundation work toward eliminating barriers in students’ lives so they can go on to achieve success in and out of the classroom. The goal is that by receiving a grant, students can continue with their education and not be forced to drop out.