WINONA LAKE, Ind. (WOWO): Grace College’s Center for Lakes & Streams is now the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams. College officials made the announcement Thursday as a way to acknowledge the “substantial leadership gifts” the center’s endowment fund has received from Lilly Endowment Inc., as well as the Lilly family through the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation.
The center’s goal is to make the lakes and streams of Kosciusko County clean, healthy, safe and beautiful through a combination of research, education and collaboration, making the county’s lakes the most thoroughly studied in Indiana.
“We are honored to now be affiliated with the prestigious Lilly name, which carries a legacy of local lake research and a strong commitment to excellence,” says Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams director Dr. Nate Bosch. “I am grateful for this generous support that allows us to expand the Lilly Center’s work and groundbreaking research.”
Lilly family connections to lakes in the region stretch back more than a century. Col. Eli Lilly, founder of the pharmaceutical company, helped establish a local research station that benefited several lakes in Kosciusko County. His grandson, Eli, who helped found Lilly Endowment, was personally involved in several research efforts on Lake Wawasee. Today, Col. Lilly’s descendants continue to own summer homes on Lake Wawasee.
Altogether, the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams has received gifts and pledges from 78 individuals, businesses and organizations representing 12 lakes in the county totaling more than $5 million for its endowment fund to provide ongoing support for the Lilly Center into the future.
“Over the past decade, the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams has become a well-respected research organization and community collaborator,” says Grace College President Dr. Bill Katip. “Under the leadership of Dr. Bosch, both the local community and the scientific community have come to rely on their excellent work. I’m delighted that the Lilly Center can broaden its influence and impact even further with Lilly Endowment and Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation gifts.”
The announcement comes as Grace College announces the launch of its $37 million Aspire Campaign. You can learn more about the campaign by clicking here. grace.edu/aspire
