The Equestrian Committee will continue offering riding lesson scholarships to
students interested in horses and learning how to ride this fall. Students will learn
balance, coordination, perseverance, and courage.
Riding is a wonderful outdoor sport but can be expensive and consequently not
available to everyone. Qualifications: Applicants (ages 7-18) must have parental
approval, live in the LOW community, and complete an application that includes a
paragraph on why they want to be selected. Participants will be selected (based on need
and interest) by a rotating working group of three Equestrian Committee members. The
application may be picked up at the Holcomb Building or downloaded from the following
website location: www.LOWA.org/EquestrianCenter. The application submission
deadline is Friday, October 6, 2023. Instructions for submission are set forth on the
application itself.
A Riding Lesson Scholarship would cover the cost of a block of five riding lessons
(valued at $245) at the LOW Equestrian Center to be given by our qualified trainers
who have extensive horse knowledge, great interpersonal skills, and dedication to the
job and horses.
This project is being supported by Friends of Lake of the Woods (FLOW), a nonprofit
501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises donations to enhance community
projects that are not budgeted by LOWA but have received the Board’s approval.
Anyone wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution toward the Youth Riding
Scholarship Program may do so by contacting FLOW.
Category: Updates
FLOW and the Pools Committee Host a Luau
FLOW (Friends of Lake of the Woods) and PCAC (Pools and Community
Activities Committee) are pleased to report that a good and relaxing time was
had by all– the weather was clear, beer cold, wine flowed, and the snacks
abundant. Neighbors and friends visited and enjoyed the live music performed
by Kathy Johnson of Nashville. There was a surprise performance by the Water
Fitness Class Chorus when they sang backup for Kathy on The Egg Song.
There was an unprecedented 99% turnout of the ticket purchasers, and
very generous 50/50 Raffle action. The raffle winner was Mike Derreberry,
and the consolation flamingo gift basket winner was Austin Jennings.
Due to the generosity of our LOW neighbors, we met our goal for the two
benches for the shower areas of the Clubhouse Pool bathrooms, and may
even have enough for a third bench in the Sweetbriar Pool men’s restroom
shower. If not, there’s always next year…
FLOW and the Equestrian Committee are working to make equestrian scholarships a reality.
FLOW is sponsoring a scholarship program with the Lake of the Woods Equestrian Center. The Equestrian Center does great job of offering ponyand horse-related events to the LOWA community including four horse shows per year; summer pony camp, pony and trail rides as well as birthday parties at the stables. Many children in the community want to learn to ride but lack the finances to do so. A Silent Auction is scheduled this year to award scholarships offering five lessons valued at $245 per lesson. The equestrian project underway. “
Learn about making a tax free donation
In 2015, Congress made permanent the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) provision of the Tax Code. This provision allows people over age 70-1/2 transfer up to $100,000 from their IRA to a charity such as FLOW, and have it count as their Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) obligation without increasing their adjusted gross income. In addition, no taxes are due on the amount transferred to charity.
However, if you make a tax-free transfer to a charity, you can’t take a charitable deduction for that contribution. But the benefit to you is that making this transfer prevents an increase in your adjusted gross income helping you to avoid a higher tax bracket and might even keep your income below the threshold for the Medicare high-income surcharge, which boosts your Part B and Part D premiums.
Consult your tax advisor on your particular tax situation. Certain rules apply. Most important is that you have the check or electronic payment made out to the charity, not to you, so the money isn’t included in your adjusted gross income and counts as a tax-free transfer. Contact your IRA administrator.
FLOW is a 501(c)(3) and qualifies as a charity to which your transfer can be made. To learn how your contribution can benefit LOW, contact a FLOW board member.
New Lights
Hanging pendant lights illuminate the renovated Woods Center Fareways eating space and bar area due to the donation of five generous Lake of the Woods individuals. This was our first completed project years ago!
Lions Pavilion
The pavilion at Hollyfield Park was built by the Lake of the Woods Lions Club. FLOW helped with establishing this pavilion.
Fitness Center
FLOW raised funds for fitness equipment for the new Community and Recreation Center.
Clubhouse Pool Snack Bar Shade Structure
This project, initiated by the LOWA Pools Committee, provided for the installation of a shade structures at the Clubhouse pool. The snack bar is not air-conditioned and becomes extremely hot during the summer months. The shade structure benefits employees working in this excessive heat, and shades the concrete outside the service window and spare burned bare feet while ordering and waiting for orders.
During the 2021 Pool season, FLOW and the Pools Committee worked together to raise over $3,000 for shade structures for the Clubhouse pool so that those sitting at the pool were no longer baking in the heat and sun and those standing in line for food at the snack bar had burned feet and toes. The structures are now up and the beautiful awnings are a standard for shade projects throughout LOWA.
During the 2019 Pool season, FLOW managed a fundraiser for the Pools committee that raised over $1,400. A portion went to add ADA benches in the restrooms at the Clubhouse pools, and a clock at the Clubhouse pool, with the remainder to go towards the 2020 project for a shade structure over the snack bar.
Dog Park Project
All Fur Grooming Salon donated the beautiful wooden benches to the dog park this past summer. As a 501c3, FLOW helped the Happy Tails Dog Club collect money from All Fur and others for these benches. In addition, FLOW helped the Happy Tails Dog Club with fundraising so they could get a pergola, built by Lake of the Woods Woodworking Club, which protects dog owners from the sun in the small dog area of the dog park.
