Recent & Upcoming Events

7/26/2026

Our final Pre-Taft summer class is going to be one you will not want to miss. This last Taft class on 8/8 it’s definitely for all the parents that want to do a shared activity with your kids. What a way to close out the summer.  Please come join us for the fun. Go to Eventbrite.com for details.

7/22/2026 

Important Read! Link here to a just published article in the Ogle County Life Newspaper in regards to recent development’s at the Lorado Taft field Campus.

7/15/2026

We will be at the Byron Farmers Market this Saturday 7/18, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. For your kids & anyone young or old we will have a hands-on display of the Wild Mammals of Illinois with pelts, skulls etc courtesy of the Burpee Museum, Rockford, Il 

We have our next to last class coming up in Lowden State Park on July 25, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM  for our Pre-Taft programming link to Eventbrite here.

We hope to see you there!

7/02/2026

Please give a listen to Together for Taft’s founder Julie Roloff Bassett’s latest

NPR Perspective “Outdoor Education Isn’t Extra Its Essential”

Please take a moment out of your day to read our PDF document titled “Milestones and Momentum” a brief telling of what we have achieved since January of 2026. Thank You.

Welcome to our newest member to the Together for Taft BOD Nico Gianni. We are still looking for volunteers and committee members to help us with upcoming events reach out to us by phone or email. 

5/21/26

Our latest flyer has now dropped online for Sat June 13th. You won’t want to miss this very special Saturday. Limited space available. A very special shout out to Anna Moodhe and Shelby Bond who work on creating and editing our flyers for pre-Taft programming and brochures that we use as handouts, they consistently to do just an amazing job. 

5/17/2026

For those of you interested in our Pre-Taft summer classes. If you are in need financial assistance, we do have some scholarships available. Please reach out to us if you and leave us your phone number and would like to attend a class.

5/15/2026

We have added new dates and opportunities for you to bring your 9-14 yr old children and their friends out to Lowden State Park for our Pre Taft Summer Classes May 23, 1230, to 400, June 13, 830 to 1200, June 27, 1230, to 400, July 25, 830 to 1200 Aug 8, 830 to 1200. Mark those calendars and come join us as we strive to make each session a new experience. For more info link to our “On The Horizon Page” or email us at [email protected]

We are looking for highly motivated people who might be interested in joining the Together for Taft team of (BOD) Board of Directors, or possibly volunteering and helping us with upcoming festivals and or fundraisers. Reach out to Julie @ [email protected] or [email protected]

5/8/2026 

We are currently in the process of upgrading our email system and links are being added and you will be able t0 eventually have the ability to reach out to our Taft BOD some links are now available. Just link to the Our Story page the email addresses that are available will be located below the bios. You can still reach out directly to us by using [email protected] please leave us your phone number along with any questions you might have Thank You.

4/24/26 

Save the date Thursday May 7th, 2026 Together for Taft plans to attend the NIU Board of Trustees meeting. Time TBA but meetings often held around 9 to 10AM. We have asked for the opportunity to speak and get clarity on the timeline and next steps for the Lorado Taft Field Campus. We would love to see you there in support of our mission. It will be held at Altgeld Hall, Rm 315 @ the NIU campus.

We are growing & the work and the struggle is real. We are looking to add committed, passionate and proactive prospective people to join us on our board who are ready to help move this mission forward. Message us @ [email protected]

3/24/26

Please join us on Sunday May 3rd from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm for “Spring Into Taft“ at The Regale Center in Sycamore. Come celebrate creativity and community while enjoying the music of “Jazz in Progress” raffle baskets silent auction and a photo exhibition by local wildlife photographer Michael Day. We will be serving a yummy Chicken Alfredo dinner, vegan menu upon request. Dinner tickets are now available on Eventbrite.com. We hope to see you there!

Come and join us at the Dekalb County Volunteer Fair on April 9th from 5 to 7 Pm at the Egyptian Theatre in Dekalb.

3/5/26

 We’re excited to share that Together For Taft has expanded our social media presence to Instagram and TikTok. A big thank you goes out to Kira Collins and Angelica Myrda who stepped up to create and launch these new accounts. Their hard work will help us share updates, photos and behind the scenes moments in new and fun ways. Be sure to follow us there as we continue to grow and connect with more supporters. you can link above.

Come join us on Saturday April 11 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the 3rd annual Dekalb County EarthFest presented by DeCarbon DeKalb and NIU. It will be held at the Founders Memorial Library 217 Normal Rd Dekalb, Il. Come stop by and introduce yourself. 

We are already at work on Fest By the Nest II (our all-day music and family festival). mark your calendars for Sept 12, 2026, 11:00 to 6:00 PM. We will definitely be posting more about that moving forward.

We are also at work on our 2nd Annual 5K walk/run to be held again in Oregon, Il Oct 4th (Times TBA)

Last up, our “Spring into Taft” fundraiser is coming up. It will be held on Sunday May 3rd from 2:00 – 5:00pm at The Regale Center located 124 1/2 S California St behind MVPS in Sycamore, Il. More details to follow. 

2/19/26 

On February 13th 2026 Together for Taft officially received our 501(C)(3) status. We are now a federally recognized nonprofit organization. We are no longer under the umbrella of another charitable organization of which we have been operating under the past year. Please spread the word. Thank you to (CEI) Caretakers of the Environment International for helping us get to this point in our journey.

1/29/2026

NPR Radio WNIJ in DeKalb stopped by our fundraiser at Maxon Restaurant in Oregon IL and interviewed us for their “Under Rocks” podcast titled “Together for eagles, arts, and environmental education”. Thank you WNIJ for helping us to further spread the word about Lorado Taft. Link to listen to podcast highlighted area above.

1/26/2026

We have a huge announcement as far as raising donations for bringing back Lorado Taft goes. We are no longer using Go fund Me as a fund-raising platform. We have now switched to Givergy.com. where you can now literally pick where you would like to see your donations go. 

For example, Staffing, Education and the Arts, Facilities and Buildings, Outdoor Restoration & Trails, or Wastewater Treatment. 

The new funding links are now active on our website and are already available and working on Facebook. Please feel free to go to our Get Involved page to read about other opportunities to help us. Thank you for continuing to support our efforts to bring back Lorado Taft. This isn’t just about preserving history it’s about creating something meaningful for generations to come. 

Thank you to all who attended our “Soaring for Taft” luncheon & Eagle watch on 1/17. We had a great turn out in spite of the weather. The food that Maxson Restaurant provided was absolutely delicious. We did have a couple of Eagle sightings along with a red tail hawk, but they wisely stayed in their nests who could blame them. Thank you to our musicians Mike Warfel & Heath Johnson who volunteered their time and played some great music that afternoon. And of course, our volunteers who showed up & helped with gift baskets, raffles, silent auctions etc and braved the cold to help us out. Please stay tuned for future announcements as we will be having another Soaring for Taft luncheon in the Dekalb area.

Join us on January 8th for A “Together for Taft Community Update & Conversation. 6:30 to 8:30 at the DeKalb public library (downstairs meeting room). Meet the team and share your ideas. We hope to see you there! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Y1U2qCEqi/

Our Eagle Watch and Brunch “Soaring for Taft” now open to all. It will take place at Maxson Restaurant Sat Jan 17th from 12:00 -5:00 PM. Please reach out if you are interested in attending. Music, silent auction, a video presentation great food and Eagle watching and more. Here is the link for tickets. .https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soaring-for-taft-fundraising-luncheon-tickets-1979125187713?aff=oddtdtcreator

Jan 01, 2026 Please welcome Nick Hanson to the Together for Taft board. He has taken on the role of financial advisor his bio is now posted on our About Us page.

Dec 18, 2025 If you already haven’t please our join  Facebook #Together for Taft-Community Hub. The private group #Together For Taft is still going strong if you prefer that setting. We have now have 1225 members in our private group and 623 in our public group please join us and help us push for 1K by New Years Day. Tell your friends all are welcome. We wish you all a wonderful holiday season. Please continue to reach out to us.

Thank You, Together For Taft

We now have a date and time for our Eagle watching and Brunch at Maxson Restaurant Saturday January 17th from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.  In addition to having a delicious brunch (Menu TBA), We have two awesome solo artists Heath Johnson & Mike Warfel performing during the event both appeared at our “Fest by the Nest” last September and did an amazing job. Add in a little Eagle watching, silent auction along with a video presentation we have a pretty full day planned, So please mark your calendars leave some room to fill your bellies and come join us for this special event. Ticket availability will be limited.  

Oct 14, 2025, Together for Taft now has a Go Fund Me! Any donation big or small will help keep us growing. Please stop by our page and chip in.

Oct 13,2025 Calling all Creative Volunteers! We are gearing up for our next Together for Taft fundraiser coming this  January 2026, on tap Eagle watching, music and a delicious brunch at Maxson Restaurant in Oregon Illinois We need your help, were looking for volunteers to create or donate gift baskets for our fundraiser raffle. Think date nights, artsy surprises, local treats, family fun. Baskets can come from anywhere Chicago to Oregon to Rockford on South. If you might have any high value items that you may want to donate for example tickets to a sporting event, concert, Broadway show or local production. It can possibly be an event you may not be able to make it to we are starting our baskets etc at 50.00 and up. You can combine, even do gift cards. Lots of possibilities Please reach out to us on Facebook or at [email protected] Details for our upcoming event coming soon thank you.

Oct 12, 2025 Thank you to all who joined us in Oregon, Il on Sunday 10.5.25 for participating in and making our 5K run/ walk such a great success. We also would like to give a big shout out to all of our volunteers, donors and our sponsor Constellation Energy for making both of our events possible. Thank you to the families that joined us to walk and pass out candy in the AOP parade in the afternoon. Be sure to mark your calendar for next year with both the 5K Run/Walk returning next year and our all-day music festival and family celebration, Fest by the Nest II our all-day music festival that will be held again in Lowden State Park on 9.12.26 

Sept 22, 2025 Please tune in to TD Ryan Unleashed as our founder Julie Roloff Bassett chats it up on a podcast with local news legend TD Ryan in Dekalb, Il This being his 25th podcast and we are honored to be interviewed and continue to spread the word of Taft Please check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppJt4ghA0CU