SBCA Foundation Dinner a Huge Success
It was a memorable evening, filled with laughs, awards, and great acts of generosity
The SBCA Foundation & Endowment, which was revived in 2023, enables SBCA Chapters, companies, and individuals to give back to the component manufacturing industry. Its mission is, “Giving back to our community through philanthropic avenues to improve housing related opportunities for the disadvantaged.”
It is a standalone 501(c)(3) organization that is wholly owned by SBCA, which means financial resources donated to the SBCA Foundation & Endowment are considered charitable for federal income tax purposes and are tax deductible for both companies and individuals. The SBCA Board of Directors has committed to covering all administrative costs, ensuring 100% of the donated funds will go directly to charitable causes.
To bring greater awareness to this philanthropic opportunity for the industry, and to celebrate a year of growth, SBCA hosted a formal dinner on the second night of BCMC at the beautiful Discovery World on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI. Over 200 guests attended a memorable night of delicious food, friendly conversations, entertaining fundraising for the foundation, and the annual SBCA Industry Awards Ceremony.
A professional auctioneer started the night by getting people in the mood by auctioning off locally produced key lime pies and a bottle of fine wine. He then ramped up the action by escalating bidding on four amazing experience packages including a historic yachting weekend on the Chesapeake Bay for four, two Montana black bear hunting trips, and a weekend stay at a luxury farmhouse in Napa Valley. The dinner also featured two humorous rounds of Heads or Tails, which got people out of their seats and vying to be the luckiest person in the room.
The various fundraising activities were a huge success for the SBCA Foundation, raising $131,050 over the course of the event. A big congratulations and thank you to the experience auction winners: Sampsa Auvinen and Josh Dermer each won the bear hunt, Roger Dankel won the Napa Valley wine trip, and Jack Dermer won the historic yachting weekend.
The evening included the annual SBCA Industry Awards Ceremony, where several people were honored for their hard work, dedication, and passion for this industry. In addition to these awards, Gene Frogale was recognized as a Top Chord Club Lifetime Member, a distinction that is earned when the individual earns a total of at least 25 points in the Top Chord Club program. A well-deserved congratulations to all the recipients; SBCA and the industry appreciate everything that you do (see more on page 18).