Diamond Drop to benefit The Poshard Foundation
The 94th annual Marion Chamber of Commerce Auction & Awards Banquet will be held on Friday, Jan. 16, at The Pavilion of the City of Marion. The event will feature a social hour, sponsored by Mayer Networks, that begins at 5:30; dinner, beginning at 7 p.m.; award presentations including the Business/Industry of Year Award presentation to AISIN Light Metals; a wine pull, also sponsored by Mayer Networks; and a Diamond Drop, which is a fun event where participants can win thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.
For $10, a participant at the annual dinner will receive an ice cube that may contain one of the following prizes:
· A 14 karat, white-gold ring with 1.00 karats total weight of black and white diamonds. Value: $2400.00.
· A 10 karat, white-gold pair of princess-cut diamond earrings, .15 karat total weight. Value: $599.00.
· A sterling-silver, citrine pendant with a double-strand chain. Value: $599.00.
· A sterling-silver, black-onyx fashion ring. Value: $350.00.
· One of 17 colored semi-precious gemstones including amethyst, citrine, blue topaz and garnet.
Steve McNeill with Diamond Designs has coordinated the Diamond Drop for the past four years.
“We saw the idea in a trade magazine where they would freeze cubic zirconia in all of the ice cubes and one would be a loose diamond,” McNeill said. “We liked the idea of actually freezing jewelry and gemstones so the winners get something they can put on and admire right away.”
Steve is the son of Don McNeill, owner of Don's Jewelers that operated in Herrin, Marion and Carbondale. He is a metalsmith, appraiser, and graduate gemologist. Steve graduated from the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, Calif. He apprenticed as a goldsmith under his brother, Mark McNeill, from 1993 to 1995. Steve is an accomplished jeweler and an expert using laser technology for jewelry repair. He has more than 35 years of experience in the jewelry industry.
Preparing for the Diamond Drop is a “family affair,” McNeill said.
“You get pretty good with practice,” he joked. “It takes two days to freeze all of the cubes, and we start wrapping in my kitchen.”
McNeill said all of the preparation and work that goes into the Diamond Drop is well worth it.
“I love to see the winners’ faces when they win a prize. Some people are so grateful, and it just makes my day,” McNeill said. “Some girls will take their ice cubes into the bathroom and run hot water on them or hold them under the hand dryer to melt the ice faster and get the goodie inside.”
Each year the proceeds from the Diamond Drop at the Marion Chamber’s annual dinner go to a different charity. This year, McNeill chose the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children
“From the first day I met all of the volunteers from the Poshard Foundation and witnessed all of their hard work and saw how everyone was pitching in, I knew that if those people could donate that much time and effort, I could do a simple Diamond Drop,” McNeill said. “The money raised during the Diamond Drop goes to a good cause without any administration costs at all.”
The mission of the Poshard Foundation is to help abused, neglected, and abandoned children in Southern Illinois.
“We are an all-volunteer organization with no one receiving a salary, and we do not receive state or federal grants,” said Jo Poshard, foundation co-founder. “We have been designated as a 501c3 non-profit organization for more than 15 years. Our Foundation provided approximately 1,500 children with assistance last year with various services not covered by traditional funding sources, including dental care, car seats, special counseling, therapeutic camps, and beds and mattresses.”
Poshard said she is “greatly honored” that McNeill has chosen the Poshard Foundation to be this year’s recipient of the Diamond Drop’s proceeds.
“Steve McNeill is an excellent example of a person who cares deeply for the less fortunate in Southern Illinois and strives to give back to the community,” Poshard said. “In addition to the Marion Chamber Annual Dinner, he has sponsored the Diamond Drop at The Poshard Foundation annual fundraisers in the past and has done a fantastic job of providing attendees with the opportunity to help children in need while enjoying their evening. We are grateful beyond words to Steve McNeill and the Marion Chamber of Commerce for giving us this opportunity.”
The proceeds the Poshard Foundation receives from the Diamond Drop will be designated to their “Beds for Kids” project.
“It is difficult to comprehend that many Southern Illinois children, already in crisis, are sleeping on floors and patio cushions instead of in nice, warm beds,” Poshard said. “We will direct the Diamond Drop proceeds towards helping these children who are truly the innocent victims.”
For more information, visit:
· Diamond Designs - www.diamonddesignsbysteve.com
· Poshard Foundation - www.poshardfoundation.org
· 94th annual Marion Chamber of Commerce Auction & Awards Banquet – www.marionillinois.com