ISEE Boasts Healthy Growth for Education Foundation
Submit your items now for the 2010 Auction!

In February, 2009, ISEE volunteers and staff raised more than $39,000 for the Education Foundation at the Annual Conference from the Clay Shoot, T-shirt Sales, Silent Auction, live Auction, and sale of the 35th Anniversary Commemorative coins. The proceeds of these events will benefit 23 Education Foundation scholarship endowment funds which, by the end of the summer will have funded more than 233 scholarships since the Foundation was created.

Planning is already under way for next year’s Auction to be held during ISEE’s 36th Annual Conference  at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando Florida, February 7-10, 2010.  You can help grow the Foundation by contributing now to this worthy cause by pledging items such as travel packages, gourmet food, collectibles, antiques (especially explosives-related), recreational items, a weekend getaway, artwork, regional items or blasting accessories. Show your support by donating today!

The Auction is a great opportunity to showcase your company name at the annual conference and help the foundation continue its work.  The programs and scholarships that this event helps fund are the future of our industry. To donate an item(s), please contact us at (440) 349-4400 or email: isee@isee.org

The 7th Annual Sporting Clays Shoot was held at the Kiowa Creek Sporting Club, in Bennett, Colorado in February.  Nearly 50 people participated with twelve sponsors contributing to the event. There was also a raffle of some collector’s items from the silent auction. The total income brought in was more than $11,000. Proceeds of this event go to the SEE Education Foundation Children's Fund to benefit the families of those killed or injured in commercial explosives accidents.

The Foundation T-shirts were sponsored this year by Dr. Edward J. Walter & Assoc Inc. The  T-shirts have become collector’s items themselves and are sold each year at the annual conference. More than $5,000 was taken in from the sale of the shirts. 

Silent Auction - As in years past the long-standing tradition of holding the ISEE Silent Auction in the Bookstore at the Annual Conference continued in Denver.  A total of 13 items were available for bidding with a donor value of more than $1100.00. Generous contributions were made by Furukawa, ISEE New England Chapter, Nobel Insurance, Peabody Energy, Rothenbuhler Engineering, Viking Explosives, Wallace Technical Blasting and others.  Numerous individuals also joined together to donate industry belt buckles, collected and displayed by Dale Ramsey, helping to make this event a success.

Live Auction - Following the presentation of the Education Foundation Awards, our auctioneer Walt Partridge orchestrated the live auction by recruiting individuals in a filled room to participate in this exciting event.  Unique items were on the block, ranging from mystery grab bags, a 3-day hunting trip, Stanley tool sets, a handmade quilt, an industry belt buckle collection and a NASCAR racing package.  The evening also included a 50/50 raffle and the sale of 35th anniversary commemorative coins.  All in all, more than $20,000 was taken in for the auctions.

35th Anniversary Commemorative Coins – This year, a limited edition commemorative coin was produced to earmark a milestone in the history of the Society, with sales benefitting the Education Foundation. The obverse of the coin celebrates the 35th anniversary of the International Society of Explosives Engineers.  The reverse of the coin features the SEE Education Foundation with the inscriptions, “Safety, Education, Security & Technology.” 

The proceeds of these events will benefit the 23 Education Foundation Endowment Funds which, by the end of the summer will have funded more than 233 scholarships and generated more than $176,000 since the Foundation began. ISEE endowment funds are unique in that the principal is never spent and continues to grow. Only the interest goes to fund the scholarships. If you would like to contribute or create a memorial fund for someone who was part of our industry, go to Education Foundation Contributions.