(Dollar Bills with Bow - KIWA Staff Photo)Okoboji, Iowa (RI) — A group formed three years ago to support and promote museums in the Iowa Great Lakes area has received another $100,000 donation.
Mary Dreier, a member of the Lakes Area Museum Alliance board of directors, says the alliance was created to raise awareness of the region’s museums while helping each facility grow individually.
The alliance includes attractions such as the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum in Arnolds Park, the Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji, and the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association Hall of Fame and Museum.
Dreier says the group’s work recently drew attention from other museum organizations during the Iowa Museum Association conference in Ames.
The Lakes Area Museum Alliance was launched in 2023 with seed money from the nonprofit Spirit of Okoboji. The latest $100,000 donation comes from Spirit of Okoboji and the Kinnetz Family Foundation.
Both organizations are managed by Tim Kinnetz, founder of Milford-based GrapeTree Medical Staffing. The company is used by nursing homes as well as memory care and assisted living facilities to fill openings for nurses and other health care professionals.
