Join Us on September 17th at the White River Yacht Club!

Are you interested in finding out more about Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis, meeting with members, and having a fun time?  Members and prospective members are invited to join us on Tuesday, September 17th, at 5:30 pm at the White River Yacht Club, located at 1400 E. 74th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240. Drop by to learn more about 2014 membership and transformational grants awarded by the women of Impact 100.

The event is hosted by Beth Thomas, Impact 100 Vice President and White River Yacht Club member. Beth took the time to answer some questions for us!

Impact 100: Tell us a little about the White River Yacht Club.

Beth: Founded in 1938, it’s located on the White River in an area known as Ravenswood. While it is really more of a pontoon club, the club is a member of the Yacht Clubs of America. This membership means our membership is good at Yacht Clubs all over the world. We’ve used that reciprocity at some pretty tony clubs, including New Orleans where tuxedos are required on event nights, and international clubs, including Cape Town, South Africa, which had a very laid-back atmosphere.

Impact 100: Why did you join the White River Yacht Club?

Beth: We live on the White River, and the club is a great place to stop for food and drinks while we’re out boating. It has a full restaurant and bar open to members and their guests, so we go in the winter months to see our river friends and take advantage of the nightly specials. The club has lots of parties and events, including weekly Trivia Night and live music on a regular basis. We joined in 1988, our first summer on the river. We’re still new members in comparison to those who celebrated 50 years of membership this year!

Impact 100: What is your favorite memory of The Yacht Club?

Beth: The two biggest events each year are open to the public: our annual Open House in August and fireworks on July 3rd. We’ve had so much fun there over the years, and watching fireworks from our boat is always a great memory. But my most recent favorite memory is dressing in an evening gown to sit in the dunk tank at this year’s open house. I think everyone enjoyed watching that dress get ruined as I got dunked over and over!

Impact 100: What different perspective does being on the river and at the Yacht Club give you of Indianapolis?

Beth: It’s hard to describe. I can see the office buildings at Keystone at the Crossing from my patio, but I can also see foxes, coyotes, great blue herons, green herons, turtles, and lots of other creatures. Some of the best fishing in the river is in front of our dock. Every person we’ve taken on a White River cruise has said “I had no idea this existed in Indianapolis.”  Each year we donate a ride on our boat and dinner at the Yacht Club to the Indy Reads Silent Auction. One year local author Susan Neville was a guest on that outing, and it made enough of an impression that she described it in her essay “River of Spirit” (published first in Arts Indiana and then in her book Sailing the Inland Sea).

Impact 100: Why do you like being a member of Impact 100?

Beth: I love being part of giving a grant that makes an impact not only on the organization receiving it, but also on our community. I love the grant process, how it allows our members to be part of winnowing the Letters of Intent down to a manageable number of grants, then reading those grants and choosing who should win. It makes me feel more connected to Indianapolis to learn about the nonprofits that are trying to make it a better place.

Impact 100: What is your favorite Impact memory?

Beth: Every June when our grant recipient is named. It may not be the organization I wanted to win, but I still can celebrate being part of the process and knowing that my $1000 was a key element in that grant. If it bothers me that the organizations I want aren’t winning, I should try to bring in more members that think like me!

—

If you have questions or want more information, email us at joinus@impact100indy.org.

Directions to the White River Yacht Club from Keystone Avenue:

• Turn west off Keystone onto Ruth Drive (the stoplight with McDonalds and WalMart if you turn east)
• Take 3rd right onto Ralston Avenue (about half-mile after turning on Ruth Drive)
• Take 2nd left onto East 74th Street (about 0.1 mile after turning on Ralston Avenue)
• 74th Street goes right into the club driveway (about 0.2 miles after turning on 74th Street)