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BY ADELE MACKANOS
adelem@nwitimes.com
219.933.3248 | Sunday, July 06, 2008 | No comments posted.
It was lucky 13 for the Crisis Center's 13th annual Wine Tasting and Auction fundraiser at the elegant Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton as hundreds came out for the event and the total amount raised registered a record-breaking $268,600.
The Crisis Center serves as an outreach center for at-risk youths and their families throughout Northwest Indiana. The Crisis Center began in 1971 to help prevent teenage suicide. Last year it helped 10,714 people.
A wine tasting and auction are without a doubt the premier event in the region for a nonprofit organization, with hundreds of businesses and people donating items for silent and live auctions.
Where else could a person bid on tickets to the Oprah show and an overnight stay at the Rafaello Hotel donated by Oprah and Charlie Blum? Or a Bahama vacation at the Green Turtle Club donated by John Vinzant?
Then there's the grand finale -- five days and four nights for up to six people to fish and cruise the Bahamas aboard a 65-foot Viking Sport Fisherman boat and round-trip airfare to Nassau to start the trip, plus privileges at the Atlantis Resort and Marina.
Besides all the great auction items and fine wines, there was an incredible spread of hors d'oeuvres prepared by executive chef Nathan Wronko and his outstanding staff at Sand Creek. There was everything from a chef-manned top round carving station to a chocolate fountain with sweet condiments.
Crisis Center Director Shirley Caylor thanks all underwriters, sponsors, committee members, auction item contributors, ticket buyers, attendees, staff and volunteers.
She said she appreciates the hard work of her board of directors: John Diderich, president; Andy Arnold and Mark Maassel, vice presidents; Bonnie C. Coleman, secretary-treasurer; and Robert A. Anderson, Alyce Butler, Linda Buzinec, E. Thomas Collins Jr., Vic DeMeyer, Patrick Lee, Robert Lovely, Nadine McDowell, David Mulcahey, William Nangle, Tom Ploski, Thomas Ploski, Joe Quinn, Thomas Sourlis, Brad Sult, Cathy Svetanoff, Robert J. Welsh, Roger Wiolls, McKenly Wright and Jay Wagner, all members.
Kudos to the 2008 Crisis Center wine fest and auction committee, which did an outstanding job.
Co-chairmen were Collins, John Diederich and Janet Schulte. Members were Quinn, Andy and Sue Arnold, Speros Batistatos, Indiana University Northwest Chancellor Bruce Bergland, Julie Bieszczat, David Bochnowski, Charlie Blum, Keith Bruxvoort, Buzinec, Bonnie Coleman, Joyce Davis, Vic DeMeyer, Denise Dillard, Peter Doherty, Timothy Fesko, Karen Fulkerson, Bunny Furlin, Pat Giannini, Fred Halpern, Yvonne Hoff, John Kerr, Patrick Lee, Tammy Lynch, Mark Maassel, Rick Mazer, Thomas McDermott Sr., Bishop Dale Melczek, Char Miller, Suzanne Mulshine, Don Nagdeman, Rita Nangle, Doug Olson, JoAnn Plank, Tom Ploski, Craig Pratt, Pat Puffer, Colleen Riley, Susan Richardson, Cindi Rucinski, Lisa Tatina, Tom Sourlis, Scott Steinwart, Dave VanDyke, Glenn Vician, Tamara Young-King, Joelle Weeks, Donald J. Weiss, Robert Welsh, Bruce White, Marty Wielgos, Nikki Wielgos and McKenly Wright.
We also must give major high fives to the extremely hard-working committee members from the Crisis Center: Caylor, Barbara Wisdom, Nikki Wielgos, Kathleen Marencik, Sandra Porter Phillips, Gavin Mariano, Willie Perry and Arlene Lyons.
Consider giving a gift that will help the Crisis Center. There are many ways to donate, including gift annuities, bequests and cash gifts. For more information, call Caylor at (219) 938-7070, ext. 2727, or Wisdom at (219) 938-7070, ext. 2710.
Put on your cleats
New Hope Center, a community service agency that provides services to people with developmental disabilities, will host a golf outing fundraiser July 18 at Glenwoodie Golf Course, 19301 State St. in Glenwood.
Chairwoman Deborah Kopec and her committee -- Jill Manning, Shirley Drewenski, Scott Ford, Tim Knapp, Gary Brown, Bob and Barbara Nelson, Dr. and Mrs. Theodore Schafer and Jeff Gajewski -- have been doing a wonderful job of organizing this event and hope to make this second golf outing even more successful than the first.
They are looking for golfers, sponsors and donors to help raise operating revenue for their programs, provided to more than 400 clients with developmental disabilities annually who live in southeast Cook County and northeast Will County.
All-inclusive golf packages cost $100 per person and include green fees, cart, lunch, refreshments on the course, family-style buffet, gifts and prizes.
Those who aren't duffers can indulge in the family-style buffet for $25 per person.
Registration and lunch start at 11:30 a.m. A putting contest is scheduled through 12:45 p.m. Shot-gun start is at 1 p.m. Dinner and awards are scheduled for 5 p.m.
And it's not too late for businesses to support the event by buying sponsorship packages ranging from $500 to $2,500.
Individual golfers are welcome as well as foursomes. Register by calling (708) 841-1071, ext. 227, or visiting http://www.newhopecenterinc.com.
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