Tom Meyer, an attorney in Lake Bluff and member of St. James Lutheran Church in Lake Forest, will leave the board of directors at COOL Ministries in December after six years. COOL Ministries is a local ecumenical nonprofit made up of churches in Lake County. When the organization incorporated as a group of six Lutheran churches, in 1982, the acronym stood for “Christian Outreach of Lutherans.” The name was changed to COOL Ministries in 2015. The group operates a transitional housing program and food pantries. During his time on the board Meyer helped put together two of the organization’s more successful fundraising events: “Foodstock” and the COOL 5K/10K Run and Walk
Q. Tell me about Foodstock?
A. We had been kicking around the idea of putting on a Woodstock-type concert on the Lake Bluff village green. Foodstock was an idea a friend of mine – Ken Hall, a local musician – and I came up with.
Q. Did you have any experience putting together a concert before?
A. No. It was pretty scary
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Q. How much money does Foodstock typically raise?
A. $18,000 to $20,000 per year.
Q. How about the COOL 5k/10K. Are you a runner?
A. My oldest son is a runner. I knew nothing about putting on a race. I rely heavily on him to help me coordinate.
Q. How much does the race typically raise?
A. $5,000 to $6,000. We’re still trying to grow that. There are a lot of races out there.
Q. When is the next COOL 5K/10K?
A. Nov. 28 in Libertyville at the Old School Forest Preserve on St. Mary’s Road.
Q. What do you plan to do once you leave the board of directors at COOL Ministries?
A. My intent is to continue with the fundraising efforts.
—Mark Lawton, Pioneer Press
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