News and Events
Bridge is Done!
The last piece – installing the internal railing was completed on December 5, 2022.
Opening celebration Sunday May 7 from 1-3 pm at the bridge. Speakers, ribbon cutting, surprise fun stuff. Hope you can make it! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pop-bop-tickets-616818690307?utm-campaign=social%2Cemail&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=checkoutwidget
(The weather report looks good. Celebration will take place in the park today.)
We’re Getting Close!
Here’s what the bridge looked like on September 17, 2022
Here’s what the bridge looked like on September 8, 2022.
Pogue’s Run Trail is Funded
Work should start in 2023 .
Time of Transition
As the campaign to fund the Nowland Avenue Bridge repair winds down, focus shifts to funding the Pogue’s Run Trail. Our partner Reconnecting to our Waterways (ROW) continues to spearhead that effort.
Connie Szabo Schmucker from BGI (Bicycle Garage Indy) – a big trail supporter – invited POP and ROW to participate in an online program called Spotlight on Bicycling this week. Here’s a link: https://youtu.be/v3Cy5WUKOp0
On that video, you can learn fun info about the trail, including a map ROW created that guides people to interesting places along the route.
We Did It!
POP has been awarded a 2021 federal Community Development Block Grant that should be sufficient to pay for the repair of the bridge! Thank you to Adam Shoemaker who worked on the grant under a tight deadline to get it done!
Next step is to begin working with City to get the repair done.
City plans to put the job out to bid this Fall 2021. Work should be done by Fall 2022.
Will keep you posted!
Results of Gannnett Contest that Ended 10/16/20
POP Wins INRC’s 2020 Collaborative Spirit Award
Virtual event on September 28. Thank you to Jerry Shepherd for nominating us and to INRC for this recognition.
Fun New Video of Volunteers singing at the Bridge
Thanks to Jerry Shepherd for coming up with the idea to create a song, and Dorothy Henckel for brilliant idea of using London Bridge is Falling Down to create new lyrics. Thanks to Tessie Lloyd-Jones, over 20 volunteers participated in singing and dancing the song at the bridge. Thank you to our choral director Liam Bonner who kept us all on beat and on tune. And HUGE thank you to David Yosha and Magnet-Films for the video.
Check out 8/9/20 Indy Star Article about the Bridge
Reporter Amelia Pak-Harvey and photographer/videographer Jenna Watson did a great job of telling the story and getting the facts. Here’s the article.
And the video
Thank you to Fox 59 and CBS 4 Reporter Melissa Crash for Great Story about POP
Here’s a link to the 7/12/20 story: Fox 59 report.
Also thanks to Tessie and Kimball Lloyd-Jones and Jerry Shepherd for jumping in last minute to help.
Excellent Article about Nowland Avenue Bridge in Historic Bridge Publication
Go to p. 8 to read the article in the Historic Bridge Foundation July, 2020 Bulletin.
Thank You to Crimson Tate and Shine Bright Stitchers
For contributing 100 cloth masks, a $1200 value, that will be given to front line workers at nursing homes as part of POP’s kickoff activities to support Covid-19 related causes while also raising funds for the Nowland Avenue Bridge.
More about Shine Bright Stitchers:
(Masks will also be available for those who donate winning bids in upcoming events. Stay tuned.)
Final Tally from POP 6/10, 2020 Virtual kickoff
56 people donated to POP 2020 kickoff
$5200 was raised
Earlier donations bring the total raised up till June 30, 2020 to: $8315
Of that $8315, $1602.50 will be donated to Covid-19 related causes. (Not all donors participated in raffle)
That leaves $6,712.50 added to POP coffers.
In 2018, POP and partners raised $140,000. Evaluation and design cost $80,000. After expenses that left a surplus of approximately $57,000. With additional 2020 funds, POP has over $63,000 towards the $524,000 needed for bridge repair
Final Tally for Covid-Related Causes from Raffle Donations
Half of raffle earnings from City Way Animal Clinics – Mass Ave will go to: SOAR (Street Outreach Animal Response) to help homeless and those in crisis care for their pets: $100
Half of raffle earnings from Homespun went to: buy Homespun care package for Community East ICU cleaning staff: $75
Half of raffle earnings from Centerpoint Brewing will go to: Indy Independent Relief Fund that supports service industry workers such as bartenders, waitresses, cooks, etc. through a food distribution network: $820
Half of raffle earnings from King Dough Pizza will go to: buy King Dough Pizzas for local nursing home staff, including Rural Health Care Center at 1747 N. Rural: $253.75
Half of raffle earnings from Rooster’s Kitchen will go to: Rooster’s Food Insecurity Meal Sponsorship which is providing hundreds of meals weekly to organizations that help those in need (1 meal for every $5 sponsored): $353.75
Congratulations to our Raffle Winners
Marianne Eades and Don Wood: City Way Animal Clinics – Mass Ave
Bert Baker: Homespun
Christina Schubnell: Centerpoint Brewing
Christine Burianek: King Dough
Katie Neill: Rooster’s Kitchen
Prizes will be delivered in the next few days.
Shoutout to Indiana Landmarks for an excellent article about the POP Campaign
https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2020/04/indy-group-hopes-to-restore-one-of-citys-oldest-bridges/
Virtual Campaign Kickoff on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Was a Hit
Kickoff for next phase of fundraising campaign to repair the Nowland Avenue Bridge is in the history books.
The next phase to raise the estimated $524,000 to do the repair itself – has begun. By the end of June, 2020, more than $8000 has been donated.
More than 50 people participated in the virtual kickoff, which included:
- Premiere of 12 Stars Media’s 5-minute video about POP campaign. View video here:
- PowerPoint about the history of the campaign as well as current plans to repair it. View PowerPoint through this link:
Speakers:
- Deputy Mayor Jeff Bennett
- City Councilman Zach Adamson
- Cummins executive Alex Miser
- RQAW design engineer Ken Jansing
Thanks to many generous donors for a silent auction that was cancelled, POP raffled off a selection of 5 donations from Homespun, King Dough, Rooster’s Kitchen, Centerpoint and City Way Animal Clinics – Mass Ave as part of June 10, 2020 campaign kickoff.
- Donations of $10 or more entered donors into a raffle drawing held on June 17, 7:30 pm.
- Due to Covid-19, POP used this opportunity to help those in need as well. Half of earnings from each raffle was donated to a covid-related cause.
Next Steps
Today, the campaign to raise the $524,000 necessary to repair the historic Nowland Avenue Bridge and help move the Pogue’s Run Trail forward continues through grant writing, corporate and individual giving, and a different way of selling donated silent auction items.
Instead of an in-person silent auction, participants can buy prizes online. (See POP Prizes page for list of available prizes and prices)
The first person who emails info@popindy.org and commits to donate a minimum of 2/3 the value of item will be notified that they won. As soon as donation goes through, prize is theirs. (See POP Prizes page for list of available prizes and prices)
Help POP reach its $524,000 goal so that the historic Nowland Avenue Bridge can be repaired. That will also pave the way to complete the the Pogue’s Run Trail.
- DONATE!
- Share on social media
- Volunteer – All help welcome and appreciated. Special need for those who can help with fundraising or grantwriting
Thank you to all who have gotten us to this point!
Virtual Campaign Kickoff Held Wednesday, June 10, 7:30 pm
We couldn’t wait any longer. The design for the Nowland Avenue Bridge repair was done and project ready to bid as soon as we could raise the estimated $524,000 needed. So POP hosted a virtual kickoff on June 10, 2020.
Kickoff premiered a fun video about the bridge campaign, speakers, interactive opportunities, and a shot at cool raffle items for minimum of $10 donation.
Raffle Items for June 17 Drawing
POP Raffled off a Package of 75 Seed Packets to Four Donors on 4/3
Since the 3/24 silent auction for Pathways Over Pogue’s kickoff was postponed, POP needed to find other ways to get donated auction items into people’s hands – especially time-sensitive ones.
First up was a generous and timely donation from Big Green, a national organization with a local office that teaches kids about growing and eating their own food. They donated a canvas bag filled with 75 packets of vegetable and flower seeds, along with an X-Large t-shirt and hat. Package was worth approximately $100.
Seeds needed to get into the ground, so POP held a ‘virtual’ raffle. Anyone who donated $10 or more on POP website at https://popindy.org/donations/ in the week ending Thursday 4/2 was entered into a raffle drawing. There were 12 donors, which raised $205 for POP. Thank you to all who contributed!
Drawing was livestreamed via Zoom on 4/3.
Because Big Green was so generous in the number of seed packets they contributed, four of the participants got a raffle prize, getting to pick the seeds they wanted and pass on the rest to the next winner.
Packages were (glove) hand-delivered the next day.
Seeds packets included: organic corn, beets, collard greens, snap peas, bush beans, popcorn, romaine, sunflowers, borage, blueboy, calendula, nasturtium, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, and red bell peppers.
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With the stay-at-home situation, seeds were a particularly timely item. Growing our own food was a good way to decrease need for grocery trips. Seeds were flying off the shelves nationwide due to the corona virus, and becoming harder to find.
POP Postpones March 24 Kickoff Due to the Corona Virus
In 2018, POP and partners raised $140,000, which was more than enough to pay the $80,000 for the design to repair the Nowland Avenue Bridge. A kickoff was planned as a thank you and celebration of this milestone with the over 200 individuals, businesses and organizations that helped us get to this point. It was also the launch of POP’s new campaign to raise the funds for the repair itself.
Due to COVID-19, Pathways Over Pogue’s postponed its March 24 in-person kickoff at Centerpoint. This was not the time for public events. Our hearts went out to all the businesses and individuals who were impacted through loss of income and through the disease itself. Instead, POP hosted a virtual kickoff on June 10.
Past Fundraisers
Pathways Over Pogue’s family-friendly benefit concert on Sunday 4/29/18 at the Alford House,
2428 E 10th St – with a spectacular lineup of talent
Featuring:
Jeffery Bowen, pianist and singer
Star Adita, singer
Hot Flash Vocal Trio
Sabina Santana and Diversity Drum Circle
Accordionist Dianna Davis
Pop Lock Dance
Guitarist Daryl Jones
RTV6 story on PoP
PoP members Laurie Klinger and Jim Leich were interviewed for a story about our mission on RTV6 News.
Urban Times Article
Article in NUVO
Photo by Eston Baumer courtesy of NUVO