The mortgage for the WTIP North Shore Community Radio building—with community garden sunflowers in the foreground—has been paid in full. WTIP’s Executive Director Deb Benedict said this will enable the radio station to devote all of its funds on programming, services, and equipment maintenance.
WTIP North Shore Community Radio is pleased to announce that a generous donation has enabled the station to pay off the remaining balance owed on their mortgage, ending their $550,000 “Home of Our Own” capital campaign.
WTIP purchased the former Wilderness Waters Canoe Outfitters building on the west end of Grand Marais in 2007 and converted it into studio and office space to house the local radio station. According to WTIP spokesperson Melanie Steele, the new building enabled the station to strengthen its programming through increased independence and extra broadcast, office and preparation space; provide more local news and information reports through increased space for volunteers and an extra recording studio; increase community outreach through better visibility and space for volunteers; and house back-up equipment to ensure that WTIP’s signal remains strong in times of power outages.
A generous anonymous donation launched WTIP’s capital campaign and was soon followed by donations from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation, the Paul A. Schaap Foundation, and numerous other foundations and individuals.
Recently, WTIP learned that the same anonymous donor wished to make a donation to cover the remaining balance of their capital campaign, $85,000. “This generous gift brings WTIP’s ‘Home of Our Own’ capital campaign to a close,” said WTIP’s Executive Director Deb Benedict. “It enables us to now devote all of our funds to programming, services, and equipment maintenance in order to keep our service strong and serving our community of listeners. It also frees us up to focus on our next big project of replacing our aging main broadcast transmitter.”
Steele said WTIP wishes to thank everyone who supported the “Home of Our Own” capital campaign, enabling the station to grow and expand to better serve its community of listeners. “We have received tremendous support,” Benedict said, “Thank you.”
More information about WTIP is available online at www.wtip.org/building.html or by calling (218) 387-1070.
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