Fundraising event goes on sans helicopter
If nothing else, organizers of a fundraising golf outing Friday showed their ability to improvise at the HeatherRidge condominium complex in Gurnee.
About 100 golf balls were supposed to be dropped from a helicopter onto the rough at hole No. 1 for the Warren Dugout Club's event. The organization provides money to Gurnee-based Warren Township High School's baseball teams.
At the last minute, organizers were told the helicopter was unable to make it to HeatherRidge.
"I was looking forward to it," Warren Dugout Club president Al Silverstein said.
Going to a Plan B, Warren's head varsity baseball coach Clint Smothers went up about 50 feet in the basket of a crane truck. Gurnee Police Chief Robert Jones provided Smothers' introduction.
"Welcome to the stealth helicopter ball drop," Jones said.
Smothers then dumped the 100 golf balls from a bucket that had an image of a helicopter taped to the side. The balls were aimed at a pin placed in the rough.
Prizes of $500, $300 and $200 were awarded to those who had the three numbered balls closest to the pin. Chances were sold at $20 apiece for the golf-ball drop.
Golf-ball drops from helicopters have been popping up for fundraising efforts across the United States.
For example, several nonprofit agencies in the Sedona, Ariz. area will benefit at today's fundraiser featuring two helicopters dropping 10,000 balls at Oakcreek Golf Course and Country Club.
Ashley Echavarria, a spokeswoman for the Sedona Miracle 2007 event, said the helicopters are a major lure. She said this is the second year for the choppers.
"As opposed to just doing a simple raffle, which is essentially what it is, it adds a huge effect to it," Echavarria said Friday.
Silverstein said he hopes a helicopter can be procured for a ball drop at next year's Warren Dugout Club golf outing. He said he believed the helicopter idea that didn't pan out Friday helped to stimulate sales of the $20 chances.
"We sold out weeks ago," Silverstein said. "We were thinking of adding more balls."
About $5,000 was projected to be raised for Warren's baseball teams from the HeatherRidge event.
Plans call for the funds to be spent on personal digital assistants, scorekeeping software and rebuilding of the varsity squad's pitching mound and batters boxes.