Bates Hall group to raffle firewood at Rodeo Market Day fundraiser

The Bates Hall Preservation Society will raffle a dry face cord of firewood at Rodeo Market Day in downtown Iron River on Friday, July 10, using one of the Upper Peninsula rodeo weekend’s biggest crowds to raise money for the Bates Hall Project. The drawing will be held at 3 p.m. that day, and the group will be set up among the market-day activity at 50 East Genesee Street, where the event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. before the rodeo performance later that evening at 7:30 p.m.

The prize came from Jeff Georgalas, who donated the wood mix of maple, birch and ash. The winner will need to arrange pickup, though delivery within a 30-mile radius is available and farther delivery can be negotiated. Buyers who cannot attend in person can still take part by contacting Sue at 906-265-4771.

The raffle money will go directly to the Bates Hall Project, a preservation effort centered on the historic Bates Township Hall. Built in 1907, the hall is part of the township’s civic memory. The Bates Hall Project aims to preserve and share the building and its heritage with present and future generations. The building also needs structural work because it sits too close to U.S. 2 and the Bates Amasa Road, which has contributed to deterioration of the current fieldstone basement.

By the end of 2023, it had passed $200,000. A November 2025 membership and donation drive, along with two anonymous large gifts, pushed the total to $312,666 by late December 2025, above the group’s $300,000 goal. In April 2026, an Enbridge donation brought the total to $321,500, and restoration work was expected to begin in late spring with additional Rural Development funding.

The USDA granted $250,000 for the Bates Township Hall project, backing a plan to move the town hall off its current foundation and build a full basement.