Under the Sea auction nets more than $100,000

It wasn't exactly the kind of treasure to lure a pirate like Capt. Jack Sparrow.

But it was close.

Although Naperville United Way leaders still are tallying their bounty from Friday night's Under the Sea auction, Chief Professional Officer Susan Fritz says the group already knows it raised more than $100,000.

And unlike cutthroats such as Sparrow, the United Way plans to divvy up its booty with 31 partner agencies to address social service needs in Naperville.

Fritz says she expects to announce a final total around mid-week.

This year's Under the Sea campaign highlighted dozens of decorated Fiberglas sculptures of swimming turtles, jumping dolphins, mermaids resting on benches and seahorses supporting birdbaths.

They were on display downtown all summer to attract visitors, generate interest in the auction and build awareness of the United Way.

The most popular piece among bidders was "Franklin the 5-Star Turtle" by Naperville artist Marianne Lisson-Kuhn, which raised $5,500.

The sculpture, which includes paintings of many city landmarks, was sponsored by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Naperville Alliance.

The United Way contributes about $1 million a year to social service agencies, Fritz says, and the auction has become a key part of those fundraising efforts.

This was the seventh year the United Way has sold public art -- it began in 2001 with the Baby Giraffe Walk -- and apparently won't be the last.

Fritz says organizers already are looking to 2008.

"When you have this kind of success, how do you say no?" she said.

That's a decidedly different attitude from last year, when the Mystical Dragons auction generated only about $80,000 and seemed to take the wind out of the United Way's sails -- and sales.

Fritz says organizers learned their lesson from that disappointment. The dragons were popular with downtown visitors -- especially kids -- but they were just too big and bulky to fit comfortably into most landscapes.

"We must be cognizant of what's attractive for children," she said Monday, "but this year we also came back to the practical pieces that people can use in their gardens and homes."