The Pilot News - Rounding up support

“When that barn was built I thought, ‘wouldn’t that be interesting (for the silent auction)?’” Stallings said. “It’s lovely. It’s surrounded by Indiana rolling fields and a beautiful pond. It would encourage and bring in more attendance.
“We were able to set this up through CCYC supporters who are friends with Mr. and Mrs. Irsay,” she added. “I think it was just persistence. It’s very generous of the Irsays.”
CCYC board chairman Alan Loehr counts the setting as a big reason that he expects the event to easily top last year’s record-setting $45,000 collection.
“Neither Patty nor I know the Irsays personally, but we express our gratitude to them,” Loehr said. “They support the youth center. We really hope the cache of the Irsays and Colts will stimulate attendance. (The barn) is an easy place to access. It’s a beautiful setting. It’s air-conditioned. If it’s a nice night, it’s a slam dunker. There’s no excuse not to come.”
With the setting as well as the ongoing donation of auction items, Loehr anticipates raising at least $50,000 – the amount needed for the after-school program to make budget. However, he hopes the event pulls in as much as $80,000.
“Everything over ($50,000) will enhance and expand our program,” he said. “Every dollar goes straight to CCYC.”
In keeping with the theme, Stallings and Loehr encourage auction-goers to break out the denim and dust off the ol’ cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats for the occasion. Stallings has also lined up 27 restaurants and food suppliers to serve patrons from an old-fashioned chuckwagon.
The auction itself offers a little — or rather a lot — for everyone. Sports fans can bid on four tickets to the Brickyard 400, White Sox tickets directly behind home plate, golf package at The Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio, tickets to National Basketball Development League (NBDL) games in Fort Wayne and a trip to Hoosier Park in Anderson. And of course, Colts memorabilia, including a football autographed by tight end Dallas Clark.
For water lovers, a trip on the Culver Academies’ Ledbetter, a paddleboat for two and a ship’s wheel from a Massachusetts shipwreck are on the auction blocks.
“The ship’s wheel is intriguing,” Stallings said. “There’s a legend behind it.”
A few more of an anticipated 300 auction items include award-winning pieces of art, a night at the movies for up to 175 people at Uptown Cinema, Vera Bradley totes, jewelry and gift certificates to area restaurants. Like last year, a murder mystery dinner at one of the oldest Victorian homes on Lake Maxinkuckee is up for bid.
While always important for CCYC, this year’s silent auction took on greater meaning when the organization lost out on a 21st Century grant.
Loehr said CCYC depended upon the grant for 65 to 70 percent of its annual budget over the past three years. Even so, he quickly added that CCYC plans to keep all of its programs operational.
“Fortunately, we have been well managed financially,” Loehr said. “We should be on sound footing for the next several years. Was the grant important? Sure. Not getting the grant will allow us to really discipline our fundraising.”
According to Loehr, CCYC put together a strong grant application, but lost out primarily because of its past awards.
“What you had was an inordinate number of people applying for a small amount of money,” he said. “They wanted to give other people a chance. We’re grateful for the grants we received in the past. It enabled us to expand our program and understand staffing better.”
With a successful fundraiser, CCYC hopes to establish increased experiential learning opportunities.
Last fall, a group of CCYC students visited the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Executive director Jessie Liles recently took a group to Tippecanoe River State Park near Winamac.
Both Loehr and Stallings expressed a desire to bolster the number of similar adventures and to see enhanced individual attention for struggling students.
“We want to really batten down our partnership with the school,” Loehr said. “We want to really follow struggling kids to success. We have a great opportunity to individualize these kids’ efforts in school.”
Stallings agreed and emphasized community involvement in day-to-day workings and fundraising.
“We want more one-on-one situations,” she said. “There’s a lot of us and a few kids. You hear about it taking a village to help kids. This village could do this.
“To think the lake community, Academy and town could come together for the kids,” she concluded. “It’s amazing.”
Donated silent auction items may be dropped off at the Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Council office, 116 N. Main St., Culver. Please call the office at 574-842-3686 before dropping off items.
Monetary donations may be mailed to CCYC, P.O. Box 44, Culver, IN 46511.