Bidders in the upcoming auction to raise funds to preserve Lake Leelanau will have a boatload of unique items and experiences to choose from – ranging from jewelry to watersports lessons to a weeklong lakeside cottage stay.
Thanks to the generosity of dozens of area businesses and individuals, more than 170 packages — with an approximate total value of $50,000 —will be open to bidding during the Lake Leelanau Lake Association (LLLA) Annual Spring Virtual Auction which began Monday. Bidding will take place on the auction website at https://bit. ly/LLLA2024Bid; bidders will need to register before placing bids.
Proceeds from the auction, which runs through 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, will be used to further the LLLA’s mission to protect and enhance the quality and beauty of Lake Leelanau.
Among the items up for auction are a six-hour Lake Leelanau fishing charter, pontoon boat rentals, hosted wine tastings, a golf package for two, a Lake Michigan sailing cruise, a two-hour guitar concert, landscape design and materials, artwork, jewelry, and gift cards to many area establishments. Items range in value from $25 dining gift certificates to a oneweek stay for eight at a Leland cottage, worth $5,700. Most items were donated by Leelanau County businesses and residents, but some came from outside the region, such as autographed memorabilia from Detroit professional sports teams.
“The quality and variety of items available to bidders this year is truly outstanding,” said Diane Pelak, auction committee co-chairperson. “There is generally an item or a package to suit every interest and budget. This makes it enticing and fun for bidders and speaks to the range of talents and unique experiences that make Leelanau County so special.”
Sponsorships and donations, coupled with the matching funds, pushed the fundraising total to more than $80,000. This includes five Gold sponsors ($2,500), four Silver ($1,000) and 36 Bronze ($250). Cash contributions, including those for sponsorships, are matched dollar-for-dollar up to $30,000. “The support of our sponsors and donors has been fantastic,” said Laura Paine, who co-chairs the event with Pelak and Carol Rademacher. “It demonstrates the passion and commitment of people in this community to ensure this precious Lake Leelanau resource can be enjoyed by current and future generations.”
Supporters can register for the auction at https://bit.ly/ LLLA2024Bid and bid on items via smartphone, personal computer or tablet. Bidders will be alerted on their mobile devices if they’ve been outbid, so they can instantly submit another bid if desired.
By participating in the auction, area residents will be helping preserve and protect the 89,000-acre Lake Leelanau watershed that has become more vulnerable in recent years to invasive species and other threats.
Auction proceeds will go toward operating and staffing the four newly constructed boat cleaning stations around Lake Leelanau to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, providing community educational events, publications, and signage at all public lake access points outlining the need to protect the lake’s fragile ecosystem, and purchasing new equipment to monitor the lake bottom and detect any new introductions of aquatic invasive species as early as possible. With more than 500 member households, the Lake Leelanau Lake Association and its many volunteers have been active stewards of Lake Leelanau and its surrounding watershed for more than 40 years. To learn more about the association, visit https://lakeleelanau.org/.
