Brad and Cindy Quinn, left, were honored as the newest members of the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation’s Eli Lilly Lifetime Founders Society on Friday, Aug. 25. Jeff and Clare Quinn were also honored, but unable to attend. The Quinns were introduced by Bob Fanning, land management chairman, on the right

Text and Photos
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — A special celebration was held Friday, Aug. 25, at Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation’s education center to honor the latest addition to the foundation’s Eli Lilly Lifetime Founders Society.

Brad and Cindy Quinn, along with Jeff and Clare Quinn were the latest additions to the wall.

Past recipients of the ELFS honor gathered in front of the founder’s wall to honor the Quinns and to hear a little history of the origin of the society, purpose of the wall and the Quinns.

Heather Harwood, executive director, noted this was a special celebration as it was the 10th year for the wall.

Bob Fanning, land management chairman, introduced the Quinns and explained how the Quinn Cottage was donated and placed at the Between-The-Lakes property.

Bill McCully speaks to guests.

“A couple years ago when we kind of got word that Brad and Cindy, Jeff and Clare were interested in finding a place for their log cabin, I came to the board of directors as land management chairman and said I have a proposal for you. The Quinns have a 125-year-old cabin on Kale Island and they would like to move it some place. Would you be interested in having a cabin?” The group present fell silent, which he said was the same response from the board.

Fanning said it has turned out to be a “wonderful gift.” The family provided the moving of the cabin, the foundation, rebuilding, new roof, new chinking and new floor. “It is wonderful,” said Fanning. The cabin was built in 1896.

He noted the foundation has met with the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum and the goal is to set up the cabin as it would have been in 1896, as a remembrance of the turn of the century. “It was quite a wonderful time, I’m sure, but the real basic beginnings of Lake Wawasee. It is a wonderful gift to our conservancy, something that we and our community will use for years to come.”

Brad Quinn noted how the decision came about. “It was either put the log cabin in a dumpster or maybe in our backyard for another project for another day. Cindy came up with the idea of approaching all of you, we’ll take care of everything and would love to move it down there for enjoyment.” He noted the cabin has been in the family since 1937. “Our family has loved that cabin and we’re so glad it didn’t go into the dumpster.”

Cindy Quinn noted Harwood and Beth Morris were instrumental is saying they thought the cabin would be a really good thing for the lake. “We live on Kale Island and every day I’m back and forth there 14 times a day. It is so heartwarming to see our old log cabin there. I just hope you can use it for many different things, for many years.”

Prior to the introduction of the Quinns, Bill McCully, development officer, explained the wall celebrates members significant commitment to the organization, lake and watershed, “through their generosity of their time and resources.” He recognized those members present.

Terry Clapacs, board chairman, provided a brief history of the society. “This is one of my favorite moments of the year. It’s a chance to receive and honor new names, reflect about our own ideals and values and remember the origin of the wall and what it represents.”

He stated it was 10 ½ years ago during a breakfast with Tom Yoder, the two began thinking about how the foundation could honor “our strongest and most faithful donors” and if there was a way to personify that in some person. “That discussion took about one minute. The only person that qualified on the lake is Eli Lilly.”

Eli Lilly Lifetime Founders Society wall.

With permission of the family, the wall was created. Clapacs referred to the main plaque on the wall that honors Eli Lilly and those who join him “in their love of that ‘Delectable Spot – Lake Wawasee, the center of the Elysian Plain.” He noted that was plagiarized from Lilly’s book “Early Wawasee Days” at the end of the introduction to the book.

“Like most of us here, Mr. Lilly’s relationship with Lake Wawasee began at a very early age. In fact, he came to this lake every single summer from 1888 to 1976, every summer. As a boy, he would recount in one of the many things he wrote about the lake, the long train travel that would occur from Indianapolis, 125 miles south, on the Big 4, chugging north through every small town in Indiana, finally arriving at Milford, change trains for the last 10 miles from Milford to Lake Wawasee, and he said as he would ride that train car and the lake would come into view, I was better than Christmas morning. And I think that’s how most of us feel about it as well.”

Clapacs noted every year Lilly would come to the lake and bring his friends. During the last week of April, as his father did, he brought the Rowdy Rebelers, a group of friends who would stay for a week playing cards, fishing, sailing and pull practical jokes on one another and they would have a lot of fun. “He was a great patron of this lake,” said Clapacs.

He added there are a lot of descriptives used for Lilly and his passions if you Google his name. Those include archeology, history, art, state and local history, religion, education. “Most of all he’s a man that seems to understand how important it was to play to the common good,” stated Clapacs. “The things that he worked to protect benefit all of us, whether it’s the dam here in Syracuse establishing the lake levels, to his work around the state … We’re honored to use his name.”

Clapacs gave a brief history of the Lilly Company and working with his father, JK Sr., and brother JK Jr to create the Lilly Foundation. Clapacs stated today this foundation is the second largest private foundation in the U.S., only behind the Bill and Linda Gates Foundation. Its assets are $32 billion, and last year $1.5 billion in grants was given to worthy causes all over the state.

“We’re honored tonight with three members who are direct descendants of the Lilly family. We honor Pete (Nichols and his wife Ginny) tonight for teaching us to think big and more strategic than we started out. We thank you Bill and Irene (McCutchen) and we thank you Ted and Debbie (Lilly) for your strong support over the years and frankly without your help we wouldn’t be standing here today. So we honor everyone. You have played a particularly strong role.”

Following the ceremony the group went to Oakwood Resort to continue the celebration and further recognize the Quinn family.