NWI Marines Inc. is dedicated to preserving the traditions and values of the United States Marine Corps while serving Marines, veterans, military families and the communities of Northwest Indiana.
Through charitable assistance, community outreach, fellowship and service, we work to honor the legacy of those who served while continuing that tradition of service here at home.
NWI Marines Inc. turns Marine Corps values into service here in Northwest Indiana.
We support Marines, veterans and military families through charitable assistance and emergency support, provide community education and outreach, and work with nonprofit and veteran-support organizations throughout the region.
We also host the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball, our signature fundraising event, and an opportunity to bring the Marine Corps community together in celebration of its heritage and traditions.
The Marine Corps League Calumet Detachment #92 had held a Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Northwest Indiana for many years. Following COVID, attendance had declined and the detachment made the difficult decision not to continue the event, leaving the future of a Northwest Indiana Birthday Ball uncertain.
That year, the First District Commandants met at the Howlin' Mad Detachment #93 building to determine what came next. A committee was formed, and several detachments contributed initial funding to help cover the cost of getting the Ball off the ground.
The 2023 Marine Corps Birthday Ball was held at Duneland Falls in Chesterton, Indiana, and 160 guests attended. The event was a success, and most of the funds remaining after the Ball were retained and reinvested to help make the following year's event possible.
Building on the success of 2023, the committee began looking for a new venue that could accommodate a growing Birthday Ball. After considering several options, the decision was made to approach Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary a venue that, at the time, seemed beyond our wildest dreams.
The opportunity actually started with a simple question. While attending a local DAV dinner at Hard Rock Casino, one of our event organizers asked a staff member, “How do you rent this place for an event?” They handed us the event coordinator's card. Sometimes it really is that simple: if you have an idea, JUST ASK. You never know where it might lead.
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana proved to be an incredibly professional and generous partner. With help from Howlin' Mad Detachment #93, which provided a loan for the venue deposit, we were able to make the move to Hard Rock a reality.
The 2024 Ball welcomed 225 guests and gave us another fantastic evening of Marine Corps heritage, camaraderie and celebration. Once again, the majority of the funds remaining after the event were retained and reinvested to provide the foundation for the following year's Ball.
Building on the success of the previous two years, we once again secured assistance from Howlin' Mad Detachment #93 for the venue deposit and set our sights on an even bigger milestone the 250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
The 2025 Ball welcomed 325 guests, making it our largest and most successful event yet. But something even more important came out of that evening: the Ball Committee realized that what we had built was worth preserving for the long term.
After three successful Birthday Balls, it had become clear that the event had grown beyond what one or two individual detachments could reasonably be expected to manage year after year. The Marine Corps Birthday Ball is a tradition worth preserving, and we believed Northwest Indiana deserved a dedicated local organization committed to ensuring that tradition continues for everyone who has worn the uniform.
That realization became the beginning of NWI Marines Inc.
In the winter of 2025, NWI Marines Inc. was formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to provide a permanent home for the Birthday Ball and to build something capable of becoming much more than a single annual event.
Our first goal is to become the self-sustaining organization that ensures Northwest Indiana's Marine Corps Birthday Ball continues for many years to come, working alongside and supporting the Marine Corps League First District Detachments that helped make it possible.
But our vision is bigger than the Ball.
We want NWI Marines Inc. to become a lasting source of support for Marines, veterans and military families throughout Northwest Indiana. Whether through charitable assistance, fellowship, community partnerships or simply being there when one of our brothers or sisters needs help, we want to build an organization that carries the values of the Marine Corps forward through service here at home.
The Ball brought us together. Our mission is what carries us forward.
Now, as we prepare to celebrate the 251st Birthday of the United States Marine Corps, NWI Marines Inc. enters its first full year with an ambitious goal.
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana can accommodate 600 guests for dinner, and we would like nothing more than to fill every seat.
But 2026 is about more than growing the Ball. It is about beginning the next chapter of NWI Marines Inc. building the partnerships, resources and community support that will allow us to continue the Birthday Ball tradition while expanding our ability to serve Marines, veterans and military families throughout Northwest Indiana.
The next chapter is just beginning.
The people behind the mission.
NWI Marines Inc. is led by Marines, Marine families and dedicated members of our community who share a commitment to preserving Marine Corps traditions and supporting those who have served.
Tim became involved in the Marine Corps League community after his daughter became a Marine. That connection led to his involvement with the MCL Howlin' Mad Detachment #93 and eventually to leading the Northwest Indiana Marine Corps Birthday Ball and President of NWI Marines Inc. He also serves as the Howlin' Mad Web Sergeant.
Gregg Burke is a long time member and former commandant of the MCL Howlin' Mad Detachment #93 and is the Vice President of NWI Marines Inc. He is also an active member of the Howlin' Mad Honor Guard and head of Toys for Tots in Lake County.
Scott Hicks is a long time member of the MCL Howlin' Mad Detachment #93 and the current treasurer of that organization and NWI Marines Inc. He is also an active member of the Howlin' Mad Honor Guard.
