GUNNISON, Colo. – The 2019 Sam Boyd / Mountaineer Athletic Association Crab Feed Dinner & Auction, presented by Lacy Construction and United Companies, was a record-breaking event. Due to the generosity of those in attendance, over $54,000 was raised for Western Colorado University student-athletes.
A record 400 people packed into the Fred Field Western Heritage Center on Saturday night. It was the highest attended Crab Feed in 18 years of the event. Preliminary numbers show this year's event raising a gross of $70,090 and net profit of $54,033. Both figures are also the highest in the event's history.
The auction featured 13 items that sold for $1,000 or more. Both the CFMoto ZForce 500 Trail side-by-side, donated by Sun Sports Unlimited, and the Can-Am Outlander 650 XT ATV from Linda Pierce, went for over $7,000. A Los Angeles Chargers jersey signed by former Mountaineer Austin Ekeler was auctioned for $3,500.
All supporters were fed an all-you-can-eat meal of Pacific Dungeness crab, salad and pasta, desserts and drinks. Other items were awarded during the night through the silent auction, choice card game, the bucket ticket draw and the shot glass drawing.
The event was made possible by the title sponsorship by United Companies and Lacy Construction Company and beverage sponsorship from High Country Beverage and Sportsman's Liquor.
Western Athletics would also like the thank the 21 businesses, organizations and people that purchased VIP tables: 5 B's BBQ, Back Country Café, Berquist/Desch families, Dos Rios Golf Club, Gunnison Country Times, High Country Beverage, Lacy Construction, Mario's Pizza & The Dive, The Paper Clip, Paula Mann, CPA, Precision Automotive, Professional Contractors, Spallone Construction, Sportsman's Liquor, Three Rivers Resort, TLC, LLC Company & The W Café, United Companies, Western Colorado Alumni Board, WCU Foundation, WCU Wrestling, and Williams Engineering. Diamond Blue Pool and Spa, Gunnison Savings & Loan Association, and Western Lumber Inc. also helped underwrite the event.
Also playing a vital role in the running of the event was Dr. Crystal Southall's Exercise and Sport Science team, Ray Szallar and of course the MAA Board, comprised of Scott Frazier, Chris Alton, Candi Borah, Sean Bennett, Drew Brown, Wayne Brown, Leila Calkins, Phil Chamberland, Chris Coleman, Cindy Drexel, Danny Lefebvre, Jeanie Miller, Linda Pierce and Jerry Piquette.
The total from this year's crab feed pushes the all-time total for the event to $524,149. The event is the largest annual single fundraising event for Western Athletics, and directly supports the scholarship needs for the Mountaineer student-athletes.
