Dustin Waters
news@moultrienews.com

What more appropriate party venue for East Cooper’s fishing community than the biggest boat in town.

Last Friday, May 23, 2014  the East Cooper chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) South Carolina gathered aboard the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point to enjoy food, drinks and the opportunity to bid on great one-of-a-kind items.

An estimated $95,000 in proceeds from the evening’s ticket sales, sponsorship opportunities, and live and silent auctions will go to benefit the East Cooper CCA’s various efforts in protecting the area’s rich and diverse marine life population.

The evening proved to be a record-breaking event for CCA South Carolina and the East Cooper chapter. “We have 126 chapter sponsors for tonight’s event; that’s a new state record,” said CCA South Carolina Executive Director Scott Whitaker. “(The CCA) is made up entirely of volunteers … and we couldn’t do it without the help and generosity of these people.”

The baquet’s live auction was conducted by seasoned auctioneer Roy Smith whose mile-a-minute bid-calling became the highlight of the evening. Smith’s rapid-fire gift for gab was on full display with items up for bid ranging from a custom-made acoustic guitar and CCA firepit to group vacations and more.

Some of the auction’s most popular items included an Argentinian dove hunt, a hand-carved tupelo serving board crafted by artisan Benji Byars from Johnsonville, South Carolina and a three-hour dinner cruise around Charleston Harbor for the highest bidder and 47 of his closest friends, which sold for winning bid of $2,000.

CCA South Carolina is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting marine life throughout local waterways and at sea.

For more information on CCA South Carolina and to learn how you can become a member, visit www.ccasouthcarolina.com.

To see 51 more pictures from the event, visit: Moultrie News Photo Gallery