ALGOMA – The Save the Catwalk Committee, a subcommittee of Community Improvement of Algoma (CIofA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, announced during public comment at the Sept. 8 Algoma Common Council meeting that it has received a $1,000 grant from the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation to support the restoration of the historic North Pier Catwalk on Algoma’s north pier.

The catwalk, removed in 2026 as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pier reconstruction project, is one of only two remaining pierhead catwalks on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan and the only one that is publicly owned. The Save the Catwalk Committee is working to restore and reinstall the catwalk once pier construction is complete, preserving a landmark that has stood alongside the Algoma Pierhead Light for more than 125 years.

“We are making this contribution because we believe that together, we can create a brighter future for the communities we serve,” said Lana Vandervest, administrator of the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation.
The grant supports the committee’s ongoing $400,000 restoration campaign, which has raised more than $45,000 to date through community donations, fundraising events and grants, plus more than $8,000 in donated goods and services. The committee continues to raise funds toward the estimated $170,000 needed to refurbish — and, where necessary, refabricate — the catwalk’s steel bents and spans, with reinstallation planned once the Corps’ pier reconstruction is complete and the remaining funds are raised.

“We are honored to receive this grant from the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation. It not only helps fund the work needed to complete our mission — it’s validation that outside donors believe in this cause and are willing to invest in it alongside our own community,” said Jacqueline Toepfer, treasurer of the Save the Catwalk Committee.

For more information about the Save the Catwalk campaign, including ways to donate, visit savethecatwalk.com.

About the Save the Catwalk Committee

The Save the Catwalk Committee is a volunteer subcommittee of Community Improvement of Algoma (CIofA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Formed in July 2025, the committee is dedicated to preserving and restoring the historic steel catwalk at the Algoma Pierhead Light for future generations of Algoma residents and visitors.