Michigan Muskie Alliance

2006 MMA Banquet & Fundraiser – THANK YOU

All,

Last night was another great banquet for our Chapter of Muskies Inc. I would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to “the cause”. Phil Turk will be sharing our financial success in the days to come, but all in all I think we had another great fund raising event. We had record attendance and I think we also tipped the scale to our highest grossing fundraiser yet. We can’t do it without YOUR support. Thank you!


Special Thanks to our guests from the Michigan DNR, Martha Wolgamood & Kregg Smith.


Thanks to our new Muskies Inc. President David Cates who stopped in for a visit along with MI Marketing Director Kimberly Miller. It was a privilege to have them at this function.


I would also like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters. Most of our supporters provide merchandise and services at a price point that allows us to raise money. Without their generous donations, this type of event would not be possible. Please support those who support us. See the “Sponsors” link on our home for a list of our great sponsors.


Kevin Belcher did a phenomenal job for us again running our Live auction! This function would not be the same without your energy, humor, and professionalism.


Thanks to everyone who assisted in the preparation and running of the event. Specifically;

Tim Donnelly for his efforts associated with obtaining merchandise and preparing the auction paperwork.

Chris Barton for his generous effort in helping us secure quality merchandise from Rapala, Stern’s, Abu Garcia, and Daiwa. In addition, Chris was a big help with the live auction.

Mike and Tom Stinson for assisting with obtaining merchandise.

Trevor Williams, Chris Barton, and Ellyn Schultz for their assistance with the Live Auction.

Cooper and Tristan Smith along with Mike and Michelle King for their contribution of running the raffles.

Tim Mottes as M.C. and keeping things moving.

Vince Mottes and Chet Parks for their help in setting up and helping out with the raffle.

Phil Turk for handling all the MONEY…

Dana Turk for her help with check in, silent auction, and checkout process.

Vickie Sandy for putting up with me, and significantly contributing to this effort with planning, check in, silent auction, live auction, and checkout.

Fred Bechetti for his generous contributions and coordination of the MOFC awards.

Will Schultz and Ellyn Schultz for everything they do for this club. We see a lot of this, but there is more we don’t see….

I hope I am not forgetting anyone… It takes a lot of effort to pull an event like this together.

They can all be 50 because of YOUR support!

The P-Point presentation by the DNR was excellent. It is clear the DNR holds the MMA in highest respect. The Iowa transfer production chart speaks well for that. The MMA is doing just what it is supposed to be doing. Note your new 'Michigan Muskellunge Angler Diary' project with the DNR. MMA has earned the DNR trust. That project sets up another model that we MMA can be proud of.

I was especially impressed by the our Michigan muskie age and growth data presented by the DNR. This shows Michigan will be in strong position as the muskie program grows and achieves its potential. It is true that most of us grew up with the MN, WI, and Cananda muskie magazine stories promoting how great the fishing is. That is fine as those states have had a muskie fishery for many years that their state Chamber Commerce tourism industry could promote. The data we were shown at the MMA banquet drove home the huge potential we have right here in Michigan for a very respectable fishery. We still have a future hatchery expansion just waiting for that critical financial support which will come. That will bring all of the inland programs up to full potential to be on par with the other states.

The big bonus for Michigan is when the GLS production comes online hopefully by 2007. That program will expand to the Great Lake connecting shore line and bay habitats beyond what the other states don't have. Lake St. Clair is still the GLS ace that the other states dream of.

....Note: The Michigan muskie fishery will be second to none in the future....
Combine the future Michigan inland fishery and the Great Lakes connecting habitats.

There is another forum topic thread in progress 'Why join Muskies, Inc.?' The 2006 MMA banquet answered question well. Thank you for your support.

Well put Hamilton,
I was having that conversation with several people throughout the night. We, as a state, have an opportunity to do something un-paralleled by other states and a huge benefit to the health of the ecosystem. What an exciting time to be involved!
Kevin

Thanks Chad and everyone else who made it such a great banquet! It was my first with hopefully many more to follow. The event was very well organized, interesting and informative including the speakers, and lots of fun such as bidding on great stuff and meeting fellow Esox addicts. Most importantly it seemed to be very successful in supporting the mighty musky in our great state.

I'm just glad that the dnr is giveing musky and pike the repect they deserve and planting and them in more places after being in the army and being station down south with alot of time the only fish to catch being bass and pan fish I would miss catching pike and muskys I'm glad I live in michigan, and I don't miss the poisonous snakes that a person had to look for when bank fishing or wadeing in the water down there to.

I'm sorry for not saying thank's to every one involved in the banquet for a great time at the banquet thank you.Gabe

Great job by all involved. The PP was very informative.

See you all on the soft water very soon,

Yes what Chad said, but particularly to Chad for his efforts in the past two years on this project. He's the one that deserves a HUGE thank you from all of us for making the banquet what it is.

I want to thank all the members of MMA for being so generous, to all those that attended and bid on items, purchased raffle tickets, etc. After the DNR presentations on Saturday hopefully you know where your money goes and got a feel for the impact MMA has had on the muskie fishery in Michigan.

We should all feel proud to be part of an organization that is held in such high regard by the Michigan DNR.