Sports memorabilia flies off tables at 8th annual banquet

Noah Herron of the Green Bay Packers was the sports personality at Thursday's annual Sports Banquet, which benefits the Marshview Conservation Club at Range Line Inn in Kohler.

Thousands of dollars in prizes, most in the form of sports memorabilia, were awarded to area sports enthusiasts.

An autographed 16-by-20 print signed by nine Packers legends fetched a $700 bid from Plymouth's Mike Chandler in an auction. Scott Schaefer of Sheboygan won a 22-by-26 print of Brett Favre and five other Packers for $625.

Among the other prizes awarded via raffles was a three-piece print signed by 16 Packers legends, including Ray Nitschke, Tony Canadeo, Henry Jordan and Bart Starr, won by Michelle Formanek of Sheboygan. The print is valued at $2,500. Ann Fahrenholz of New Holstein won a 36-inch tall Ray Nitschke bobblehead doll and Mike Presutti of Sheboygan won a Barry Bonds autographed baseball bat.

Dozens of silent auction items — among them autographed items by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong — went for more than $100.

Herron was drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and rushed for 150 yards as a third-down back.

Herron talked about his experience visiting the American troops this summer and what it was like to experience a "controlled crash" while landing on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Florida during the 2006 Super Bowl, when he spent the day with Navy personnel.