Oktoberfest fundraiser at Boat Club

An Oktoberfest celebration Saturday at the Algoma Boat Club will raise funds for Save the Catwalk, a grassroots group dedicated to securing enough cash to restore and replace a more than century-old piece of the city’s history.

More than $50,000 has already been raised toward a project with an unknown final price tag, but one the group has a lofty goal of raising up to $400,000 for.

The event is open to the public, and runs from 2-7 p.m. Oct. 17 at the club, located at 180 6th Street along the Ahnapee River. The first 100 attendees will receive a complimentary cork coaster engraved with the lighthouse and catwalk, and guests who give a direct donation of $25 or more will receive an engraved Save the Catwalk beer stein to use and take home, with the first fill free.

Tickets are being sold for a chance to win one of five major prizes, including a custom-built, 8-foot replica of the Algoma Pierhead Lighthouse with a working beacon, hand-crafted by Algoma native Kane Gorsuch.

They’ll be available at the event, along with tickets for bucket raffles and a 50/50 drawing.

Brats, booyah, pretzels and homemade baked goods can be purchased, and the Greatest Hits Polka Band will be playing live music.

“We are so excited,” said Save the Catwalk committee member Denise Broussard. “Our fundraising is coming along wonderfully, and the steel for the catwalk is secured and ready to be refurbished. It’s time to celebrate the wonderful progress we’ve made.”

In addition to the replica lighthouse, other main ticket prizes include a stained-glass panel of the lighthouse and catwalk by Richard Feyen, a stainless-steel lighthouse fire ring by Shawn Olson of Olson Fabrication, and metal art by John Scherer. Main raffle tickets are $5 each, or five for $20.

There will be a live auction at 6 p.m. for a maker-autographed bottle #2 of the limited release of “The Maelstrom Saga Series 4: The Last Beacon,” the small-batch bourbon Unbound Spirits of Algoma dedicated to Save the Catwalk. Bottle #1 was presented to the family of Algoma Police Officer Ronald Leist, one of the local heroes “The Last Beacon” commemorates.

The committee will also be making a major announcement about the campaign during the event.

Roen Salvage Company Superintendent Mark Olson said this week that it’s possible his crew might return the newly-painted lighthouse to the refurbished and fortified east end of the north pier later this month, or early November.

The portion of the catwalk that was still standing prior to the breakwall rebuild has been stored at Olson Fabrication. When sufficient funding is raised, plans are to sandblast, repair what’s needed and paint.

The original elevated catwalk was first installed in 1897 to allow lighthouse keepers safe passage during stormy seas. It was extended to the beach in 1900. When the lighthouse underwent a rebuild in 1908, the catwalk was reconstructed alongside the iconic steel tower. That’s why 1908 is most commonly cited as the build date for the structure.

Decades ago, the community lost more than half of the catwalk. The portion that ran all the way to the shoreline was taken down, and scrapped. The volunteer committee wants to make sure that doesn’t happen to the rest of the historic steel, a key part of one of the most photographed lighthouses on Lake Michigan.

To learn more about the effort to save the catwalk, including ways to donate, visit https://savethecatwalk.com/.