The 23rd annual Benefit on the Bay took place on August 26 at MacRay Harbor on Lake St. Claire in Harrison Twp., Mich. The event, which raises money for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, hosted more than 600 attendees and featured a silent auction, complete with signed sports memorabilia, wine baskets, and knife collections, and speed painter Dave Santia was also on hand and created three paintings—one of Muhammad Ali, a second of Charlie Chaplin, and a first-of-its-kind of Gordie Howe—that were live-auctioned. A special fourth painting of event founder Mike Schodowski was also created, with the winning bidder donating the painting to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. All four paintings combined generated more than $12,000 for the cause.
Detroit media personality Jay Towers, morning news anchor for Fox 2 Detroit and host of the Jay Towers in the Morning program on 100.3 WNIC, served as emcee of the event for the ninth straight year. Food and drinks were included with the price of admission, as well as live music entertainment.
The event was underwritten entirely by Shelving.com to ensure that 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to Capuchin. To see photos from the event or learn more about how you can get involved, visit www.benefitonthebay.org.