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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Rotary Club of Clearlake held its 12th annual Seafood Boil and Auction on Feb. 28 at Highlands Senior/Community Center in Clearlake.
This year's event was dedicated in memory of Dr. William “Bill” Cornelison, who was a longtime Rotarian and past president of the Middletown Rotary Club.
Cornelison spent a lifetime dedicated to education, serving as superintendent of schools in the Konocti school district as well as of the county district.
“We honor Bill's qualities as a Rotarian, a humanitarian, a good and true friend, and a selfless server to his community,” it stated in the evening's program.
The club intends to create a perpetual scholarship in Cornelison's name.
The event featured a plethora of live and silent auction items, as well as lobster and tri-tip, and mounds of steaming crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, mussels and clams.
Wines poured by Gregory Graham also highlighted the event.
Dessert was prepared by Lower Lake High School culinary class and students from Interact clubs of Carlé and Lower Lake High schools served the 200-plus guests in attendance.
The Rotary Club of Clearlake was founded in 1973 under the motto, “Service Above Self.”
During its 42 years of service, its has donated more than $255,000 in annual scholarships to local, college-bound seniors.
More than 3,100 dictionaries have been provided area third-grade students throughout the years as well.
The Rotary Club also hosts an annual community Christmas dinner, serving more than 900 meals each year while providing more than 600 gifts to children.
It is also a major sponsor of the Safe House for Homeless Teens.
Additional contributions to the community are vast and encompass health care, public transportation, youth athletics and more including the dedication of Highway 53 as Veterans' Memorial Highway.
This year's international project, according to Ginger Kite, event coordinator, will send school books destined to be destroyed by the California school system to students in the Philippines.
The club also will assist with a sustainable small business project there.
The Seafood Boil and Auction is the club's largest fundraising endeavor. In addition to the thousands of dollars made in sold-out ticket sales and proceeds from the silent auction, live auction action saw the club raise more than $10,000, including the sales of extra lobster tails.
In a repeat of last year's highest-selling auction items was a jungle adventure in Costa Rica with host and tour guide Bill MacDougall, retired superintendent of Konocti Unified schools.
Bidding reached $2,300, with Supervisor Jeff Smith and business owner Karen Slooten – who held the winning bid last year – pitted in competition.
Ultimately, MacDougall donated a second trip and both Smith and Slooten took the item each with $2,300 bids.
The second-highest bid was awarded to Bruce McCracken, owner of Clearlake Waste Solutions, who snagged four premium Giants baseball tickets for $900. The item was donated by QKA and Dana Moore of Konocti Unified School District.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
