Every year during the winter holiday season, SmithBucklin employees use a number of creative techniques to raise money for the worthy causes. In 2010, SmithBucklin presented a
check for $32,000 to Kate Maehr, Executive Director & CEO of the
Greater Chicago Food Depository. One of the most popular activities is an auction that features unique products and services such as "movie night" at the CEO's house, in-home cooking lessons, babysitting, etc. Using an online
eBay-style website, employees bid and outbid each other, and all of the proceeds go to the food depository.
Since 2007, three SmithBucklin executives (Bret Kelsey, Mark Thorsby and this blog's author) have participated in the auction by donating a fishing expedition on Lake Michigan. The auction winner and two of his or her colleagues join the three sponsoring executives for a fun afternoon searching for salmon and trout on Lake Michigan. After five hours of fishing near Waukegan, Illinois, the catch is cleaned (by the captain) and divided up among
the participants. Some of the fillets are taken home for grilling and others travel to the Boat House Pub & Eatery in Kenosha for smoking. Click on 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 to see the complete set of images for each
expedition. Below is the charity winner and a "fishing highlight" image from each year.
August 24, 2012
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| Charity Auction Winner: Pam O'Brien |
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| Charity Auction Winner: Kevin Baliozian |
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| Charity Auction Winner: Katie Paffhouse |
*2007 was the final outing with
Captain Jason. His fishing boat, the
Finseeker sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan on May 30, 2008 during a freak, microburst storm. Captain Jason and his six customers waited out the storm in the cold Lake Michigan water before they were rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.
Click here to read more about the storm and survivors from the
Daily Herald. Below is video of the
Finseeker wreck made by divers a few months after she sank.
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