On behalf of our donors, partners and lakeshore visitors, Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is proud to win a Governor’s Tourism Award for our Access for All initiative. Access for All is an effort to make the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore accessible to people of all abilities. Our current keystone project is an accessible ramp at Meyers Beach, gateway to the mainland sea caves, scheduled to be built this summer. In addition, Friends has funded or supported construction of boardwalks, an accessible amphitheater on Stockton Island, an accessible viewing platform at Little Sand Bay and more.

Friends Executive Director Jeff Rennicke accepted the Bright IDEA Award during the Governor’s Conference on Tourism Dinner and Awards Celebration in La Crosse, on March 11th. Accessibility is a key component of the Bright IDEA award, which “recognizes tourism efforts that foster a welcoming environment and authentic experiences for all visitors.” Friends was one of 18 nominees in the running for this honor.

In accepting the award, Rennicke said, “Right from the start, our members and supporters embraced the Access for All Initiative, proof of the project’s deep importance to everyone who loves these islands and our national parks. By showing what can be done, even in a difficult landscape like the Apostle Islands, Friends has become a leader, pushing other national parks to undertake their own accessibility projects for the good of all.”

The new ramp, scheduled for construction in the summer of 2025 will replace an aging narrow staircase with an accessible ramp, as well as a wider staircase with a kayak slide designed to make it easier to get boats up and down the steep sandy hill. All beach goers and paddlers will benefit. With help from 500 individual and corporate donors , Friends raised more than $325,000 for the project, which also earned funding from the National Park Service Centennial Challenge Program and the National Park Foundation.

Navigating the current Meyers Beach stairs

Michael Halder getting into a kayak on Meyers Beach

Speaking about the project last fall, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Superintendent Lynne Dominy said, “Universally designed infrastructure benefits everyone. Whether you are in a wheelchair, walking with crutches, need a flatter slope for better balance, or if you are pushing a stroller, this ramp serves you better than stairs.”

Jeff Rennicke accepts Governor’s Tourism Award, along with Anne Sayers, Wisconsin Secretary of Tourism and Ben Popp Executive Director of The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

In selecting Friends and our Access for All initiative, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism said, “Driven by the promise national parks belong to all, the Friends of the Apostle Islands group leads in making the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore more accessible and welcoming. Through the Access for All Initiative, the Friends have raised funding for infrastructure improvements throughout the lakeshore. The funding has partially or fully paid for projects like an accessible amphitheater, accessible boardwalk on Sand Island and accessible overlook at Little Sand Bay, with more projects in the works. The Friends’ effort, which has earned national recognition, makes Wisconsin’s natural landscape more welcoming for visitors with disabilities.”

Award nominee list

A total of six individuals and organizations received 2025 Governor’s Tourism Awards in a half-dozen categories. Governor Tony Evers said, “I want to congratulate all of this year’s awardees and thank them for the work they do every day to support tourism across Wisconsin every day of the year. Tourism generates $25 billion in economic impact for Wisconsin — this industry is critical for our state’s economy and our success, and that’s in no small part due to the hard work of the folks we’re recognizing.”

Created in 2010, the Governor’s Tourism Awards honor excellence, leadership and innovation in Wisconsin’s travel and tourism industry. About the nominees and award winners, Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers said, “Some are new to the industry, while others devoted a lifetime to tourism. What binds them is a passion for enriching the visitor experience and improving the lives and livelihoods of Wisconsinites through tourism.”

Friends would like to thank all of our donors, the National Park Service and our partners for your commitment to Access For All. This award belongs to all of you. We’ll keep you posted on construction of the new accessible ramp and some new accessibility initiatives we are working on.

 Access For All partners and donors