Save Our Native Species Inc.
S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie Fishing Club
(A 501 C (3) not for profit organization)

S.O.N.S. VOLUNTEERS' PICNIC

Our SONS Volunteer Appreciation picnic was held on Monday August 7^th, 2023 at the Shade’s Beach. This picnic is our way of thanking the over 130 volunteers for volunteering over a total of  850 times at 42 separate activities that we have organized and sponsored since July of 2022.  If you consider that each volunteer donates about four hours’ time that’s 3600 hours total  which according to standards is worth $20.00/hr. calculates equivalent to  $72,000 worth of volunteer effort. All of these efforts by all of our volunteers for make club a success that it is.

There were severe weather concerns that day but thankfully there was only a short period of a slight drizzle. We lucked out again. Only 100 of our invited guests attended.

Team Lubak under the direction of SONS director Kevin Lubak and his wife, Leslie and their family followed the tradition started by his father Ron Lubak who acted as the caterers again this year, Their planning and efforts again made for plenty of good food.

Thanks to all of our SONS directors and officers that spent hours planning, preparing and executing a great event.

We offer our sincere appreciation to Kevin and the Lubak family. Your dad would be so proud!

OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS RECOGNIZED

Every year there is a core group of SONS volunteers that consistently continue to help out and keep things going. This year we would recognize Jack Bock and Joe Springer for their hundreds of volunteer hours in their capacity as part of our hatchery crew. Jack is our hatchery manager a Joe the grunt that keeps the place running in addition to their time they spend working at our many activities. Also recognized was Larry Lipinski who has spent countless hours refurbishing hundreds of donated fishing rods and reels which were distributed free of charge to different agencies as well as always being at our other activities. They were each presented with a nice sweatshirt embroidered with inscriptions acknowledging their individual contributions. 

There was another segment of 39 of our volunteers that were recognized for their participation many of them who spent over 200 hours volunteering. . They were all given a SONS jacket in appreciation. They were:

Jack Bock, Rich Brine, Bert Camp, Rich Cass, Kieth Cauvel, Jim Christensen, Mike Felege, Ralph Friend,Ray Halt, Jack Hartman, Paul Holtz, Bill Joslin, Herb Kightlinger, Mikdred Kightlinger.Doug King, Ed Kissell, Jack Klapthor, John Kovach, Katie Krupinski, John Krupinski, Larry Lipinski, Kevin Lubak, Dave Mikeska, Dave Miller, Chuck Miller, Ken Minns, Ron Miller, John Mulligan’ Tom Nichols, Tom Pruzenski, Mary Runser, Jerry Skrypzak, Doug Smith, Joe Springer, Joe Stahon, Don Tombaugh and Bob Zawadzki

A special vote of thanks goes out to our officers and directors as well as their wives for the countless hours behind the scenes doing club business.

Our member volunteers are the greatest bunch of people that I have had the privilege to work with. I am so proud of what we have accomplished thanks to them and the rest of our membership.

Top Volunteers Jack Bock, Joe Springer and Larry Lipinski pose with SONS Pres. Jerry Skrypzak