Donor Spotlight: Tom and Mary Falck
January 17, 2024
by Diane Foote
When Tom and Mary Falck first met, neither one was a boater; sailing is a hobby they've developed together. Their first sailboat was a Sunfish, which they purchased in 1988 after Mary spotted at a neighbor's yard sale. They were living in Minneapolis at the time, and after sailing the Sunfish on city lakes for a few years, they upgraded to a Capri 14 day sailer and branched out to nearby Lake Waconia. But they didn't stop there; Tom got the racing bug and they moved up to a Capri 22. Even with no formal sailing training, they raced for five more years with two crew and two labrador retrievers, and look fondly back on those good old days.
After moving to Chicago and taking a look at Lake Michigan, the Falcks thought "We're going to need a bigger boat," and purchased a J105, which they sailed from 2000-2006, including Tom's first Race to Mackinac in 2000. An adventure followed, during which they sailed Britain's North Channel in 2006. Upon their return to Chicago, they purchased their current boat, a Tartan 3700 Intangible, and the rest is history.
Tom and Mary came to the Foundation through their interest in supporting one of our community partners, SOS Children's Villages. After volunteering their time and Intangible for annual cruises taking kids from SOS Children's Villages, "We really got invested in these kids," according to Mary. They were gratified to see that SOS Children's Villages was one of the first charities supported by the then-new Chicago Regatta, and have participated in that event since.
In keeping with their own spirit of adventure on the water, Tom and Mary seek to provide similar opportunities for Chicago's kids to be curious and take risks in a controlled environment, noting that even for adults, crossing the lake can be intimidating. Some Chicagoland youth have never been out on Lake Michigan, and via the Foundation's programs they can do that safely, even if they are nervous at first. The Falcks have noticed aboard Intangible that "Kids want to do things. Kids want to touch things." It is their goal to encourage this curiosity, and they support efforts to "give kids a chance to expand their horizons and discover new things," according to Tom.
Such experiences also introduce young people to the great resource that is Lake Michigan; not only the annual lake cruises the Foundation hosts in collaboration with the Chicago Yacht Club's Cruising Sail Fleet and Power Fleet, but also the Lead HER Ship five-day experiences and half-day STEM cruises aboard the tall ship Inland Seas.
Perhaps even more important than introducing young people to boating and the lake, according to Tom and Mary, "It is important that people demonstrate care for Chicago's kids." Please consider joining the Falcks in supporting the Foundation and in turn, the young people of Chicago, by learning more about our programs and consider making a donation here.