Share: 

Ducks Unlimited Varsity holds first fundraising banquet

Ducks Unlimited member Jarrad Hill, left, of Lewes purchased the Richard Clifton print “Fog Delay” produced by Ducks Unlimited for the DU events. Clifton was on hand at the event and personalized the back for the lucky buyer. Clifton has won 51 duck stamp competitions. He is the current DU International Artist of the Year. Both Hill and Clifton are Cape graduates. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Dan Cook
May 24, 2018
Supporting the DU Varsity banquet are (l-r) William DelleDonne, Delany Zolper, Kenny Hopkins, Ed Brown and Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes.
Cape Gazette publisher Dennis Forney, left, discusses the finer points of waterfowl art with Milton artist Richard Clifton.
DU Varsity advisor Bobby Maull, center, has a great time with Tim Dale, left, and Dave Repass.
Ron Krakewski, right, bought this beautiful handmade canoe console table at the live auction. Shown with him are his daughter Sarah, center, and DU member Jason King.
The food was catered from Mark’s Meats and More.
Ducks Unlimited Varsity Secretary Riley Klopp displays a shotgun sold during the live auction.
Supporting the DU Varsity event are (l-r) Lynnette Anderson Klopp, Kim Simpler, Bonnie Truitt and Kerri Best.
DU Varsity member Zach Simpler stands with a picture offered at the silent auction.
David Humes shows some of his bounty of $500 worth of gift certificates won in the DU playing card raffle.
Steve Lakey donated his handmade Black Duck decoy and a goose and duck call made from Bocote wood.
John Knarr, left, looks over the group of guns he can pick from for winning the DU playing card raffle. Helping him decide is DU Regional Director Ben Vaughn.
Auctioneer Butch Emmert sells a Yeti cooler held by DU Varsity members Rikley Klopp, center, and Marlee Geppert.
Preston McCall, 13, of Lewes enjoys the Plinko game.
Cape DU Varsity supporters (l-r) Lisa and Mike Cerchio, and Cindy and Mike Dmiterchik enjoy the evening.
DU Varsity Vice President Garrett Catts, right, deals to Cape grad Nicole Brooks-Alarcon during the high-low game.
Cape grads Christine Bristowe, left, and Sean Palmer bid on a silent auction item while Jake Dmiterchik looks on.
Cape Superintendent Bob Fulton, left, and Cape grad Roland Hill support the Cape DU Varsity event.
Enjoying the evening are (l-r) Bobby Best, and Frank and Mary Green.
Having a great time at the banquet are (l-r) Sean Brooks, Rusty Catts, Mark Layton and Francis Walsh.

The Cape Henlopen High School Ducks Unlimited Varsity Club held its first banquet April 28 at Lewes Fire Dept. Station 2 in Nassau, where the group raised funds for DU wetlands conservation. Over 300 people from the local area came out to help the DU Varsity continue its work of supporting the nationwide Ducks Unlimited.

The Cape DU Varsity is a group of 44 students who believe in the mantra of Ducks Unlimited, the world leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation. DU conserves by restoring grasslands and watersheds, replanting forests, working with landowners, acquiring land and conservation easements, and using management agreements and geographic information systems to determine where their habitat work will be most effective. They also monitor the results of their work.

“It was a great showing for our first annual banquet,” said Cape DU Varsity advisor Bobby Maull. “I heard it was the biggest DU Varsity fundraiser for the Delaware region. We have an awesome group of Cape students.”

The Cape students from grades 9-12 sought sponsorships for the event.

“The group worked very hard for the banquet,” said Maull. “Our Cape family and the sponsors really came together for a fantastic evening.”

The Cape Ducks Unlimited Varsity officers are Nolan Brown, president; Garrett Catts, vice president; Riley Klopp, secretary; Delany Zolper, treasurer; and Liam Zolper, membership chair.

The Cape DU Varsity Club thanks the sponsors and the Cape Henlopen administration, the Cape school board, DU Regional Director Ben Vaughn, Chairman Bobby Maull and his assistant Justin Marino, Raymond Harp and Kenny Hopkins from the Eastern Shore DU Chapter, Mike Simpler, Mark Layton, Mike Cerchio, Butch and Will Emmert, Eastern Shore Ducks Unlimited, Troy Virden, Lewes Fire Department and Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Department.

For more information about Ducks Unlimited Varsity, go to: http://www.ducks.org/get-involved/ducks-unlimited-youth-programs/du-varsity.

Most Popular

Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs. 

Most Popular