Lanski family remembrance
The Carson Lanski Fund
In the days after Chaz’s death, an online circle of friends became a community of care for Kim and Carson.
These events and appeals have ended. Amounts and plans below are those reported in the saved pages; they are not present-day fundraising instructions or a statement of the fund’s current status.
A college fund in Chaz’s memory
Marc D. Goldstone and Don Payne helped organize the Carson Lanski Scholarship Fund through alt.smokers.cigars. The original proposal aimed to raise $10,000 by the end of 1998 toward Carson’s future college education. Financial professionals offered help without fees, and Marc offered pro bono legal assistance.
The saved Internet Cigar Group memorial, updated June 5, 1999, reported more than $21,500 raised, well above that goal. This was the community’s hope for Carson’s future; the archive does not document the fund’s later administration or outcomes.
Many ways to help
- Tim Baker’s humidor auction: $1,781 reported.
- Rick Baker’s first cigar auction: $601 reported.
- Brian Sasaki’s auction: $525 reported in the later memorial.
- Gregg Steinhilpert’s football squares: more than $200 reported.
- Jamie Foster’s honorary PhD fundraiser: $175 reported.
- Bo Powell’s Cigar Aficionado magazine auction: $164.05 reported.
- Greg Vass donated a pre-Castro Romeo y Julieta for an auction.
- Bill “Rollout” Stewart offered CigarFamily Celebration ’98 photo CDs to benefit the fund.
- Bob Clair organized another cigar and humidor auction.
- Mango Joe invited post-Thanksgiving gatherings to pool contributions.
Jazz for Chaz brought friends and family together on December 4, 1998 and helped surpass the original goal. In May 1999, the Jersey Shore Cigar Crawl held a benefit raffle featuring a humidor donated by Arlin Liss. The June update also announced a planned Carolina Cigar Crawl benefit for August 1999; its outcome is not included in the saved files.
The people behind the pages
The Internet Cigar Group provided web space and a mailing-list service, managed by Don Payne, to keep supporters informed and collect memories of Chaz. The original pages thanked everyone who organized, participated in, and sponsored the events.
Surviving notices
These period notices preserve the organizers’ own words. Email links and old external links are removed. Contact details and bidding instructions appear only as part of the dated historical record.
Rick Baker’s first auction
The original memorial records $601 raised.
Rick Baker’s First Chaz Lanski Cigar Fund Auction
From: Rick Baker <[historical email omitted]>
Dear ASC,
While I have a very big desire to contribute money to the Chaz Lanski Memorial Fund, I’m not at this point able to. So I thought I would raise some money anyways. What I’m going to do is auction off some of my cigars with the proceeds going directly to the fund. This will be a blind (sealed bid) auction held by e-mail only with the cigars going to the highest bidder. I will leave it open for one week and there will be a minimum bid amount. As far as payment goes the money can be sent to me or directly to the fund (address will be supplied) if I don’t know who you are and you win the check most be received before the cigars will be sent, other than that I can’t think of any more rules.
WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!
Well it’s been fun. The highest bid before the deadline was David Clark (FNCR) at $601. Now I start the Chaz Lanski Cigar Auction II, but this one I’m asking for cigars from everybody else first then I’ll start the bidding.
I’m still very impressed and proud to be part of ASC.
— Later, Rick Baker [historical email omitted]
Rick Baker’s second drive and raffle
An auction plan became a raffle; the saved notice records 206 donated cigars at one stage.
Rick Baker’s Second Chaz Lanski Cigar Fund Auction
From: Rick Baker <[historical email omitted]>
Hey ASC,
Well the first Chaz Lanski Fund Cigar Auction has just be completed so of course it’s time to plan another one. This time I need cigars from everybody first, then, depending on how many I receive, I”ll divide them into groups and auction them off. I figure this way everyone can get involved in donating and a lot of people can get involved in purchasing because the prices should be much lower than this last auction (it was priced out of my range and they were my cigars!). SO SEND ME CIGARS for the Chaz Lanski Memorial Fund and become a part of ASC history.
Rules
1. Include e-mail address with all cigars – so I can let you know they arrived.
2. Cigars with beetle holes will be tossed.
3. The better the cigars the more money we raise.
4. Cigars will be accepted untill the end of Nov. with the auction starting Dec. 15. All donations of Lars must be double bagged.
Send cigars to:
Rick Baker
c/o Sunray Mfg.
225 Tank Farm Road Suite #1
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
p.s. the local tobacco shop (The Sanctuary) has agreed to store these in their humidor for me untill I ship them. —
UPDATE!!!
By popular demand this auction has now turned into a raffle. More details will follow. Well so far I’ve received 206 cigars from the group: 17 – island cigars 23 – black banded fuentes 7 – Opus X 4 – Padron Anniv. 155 – others (all very good cigars just too many to list)
There is still plenty of time to contribute to this drive since I will be accepting cigars for the entire month of November. If you wish to contribute please send cigars to:
Rick Baker c/o Sunray Mfg. 225 Tank Farm Road Suite #1 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Please include your e-mail address so I can let you know they arrived. Also Mig and I were kicking around the idea of turning this into a raffle instead of an auction so if you have any opinions one way or the other please let me know (by e-mail). Thank you to everyone who has already contributed and thanks to those of you that are planning to contribute.
List of merchants that have contributed:
C.GARS [old website omitted] Mark Ryan (Bundle King) – [old website omitted]
LAST UPDATE – Time is running out on the Lanski Raffle
You’re almost out of time to get in on this.
First, to make sure this hits all the news servers I’m going to repeat it often (sorry) with that said here’s the scoop. Also notice that you if you want to get in on this you don’t have much time to procrastinate.
Well, here’s the data on the Mother of all Cigar Raffles. There will be 5 different (but as even as possible) bundles raffled off. Each will contain a minimum (more cigars are still coming in so these numbers should grow slightly) of 50 cigars, with each bundle to include at least: 2 – Opus X 6 – Black banded Fuentes 6 – Island cigars (almost all of them handmade). 36 – Others (all good to great cigars)
Chances will be sold at 5 chances for $20 and if you have a problem with coming up with $20 e-mail me and we will make other arrangements. This is a plan old raflle, the more chances you buy the better chance of winning more than one bundle. Send your donations (check, cash or money order) to: >You may make our you checks to Marc D. Goldstone, Esq and write "Carson >Lanski Fund" in the check memo. Please send them to:
Marc D. Goldstone, Esq. Corporate Counsel MONOC 151 Industrial Way East Building C Eatontown, NJ 07724 > IMPORTANT !! Please inclose a note so Marc knows that your entering the raffle. Also money must be received no later than Saturday, December 19, 1998. That way Marc has time to get all the checks cleared and a list of names to me so I can get the drawing done and cigars in your hands before Christmas (I hope).
Good Luck and THANKS to everyone that has donated cigars.
– Later, Rick Baker [historical email omitted]
Brian Sasaki’s auction
The saved notice recorded a $500 bid on October 23, 1998; the memorial’s later summary reported $525 raised.
From: Brian Sasaki (brians) [historical email omitted]
Brian Sasaki’s Carson Lanski Scholarship Fund Auction
This is a list of cigars up for auction to benifit Carson Lanski, son of our friend Chaz. All cigars are Cuban and have been kept in proper storage since their purchase. All bidding is to be done by *email only*. Email your bid to "[historical email omitted]". Bidding will start on 10/22/98(thurs.) at noon PST, and will end on 10/29/98(thurs.) at noon PST. Minimum bid is $150.00 and well below my cost for the cigars. I will try and keep the latest high bid posted to all bidders by group email and will also post to ASC. Please make sure your email bid has a correct return address. I will leave the name of the high bidder anonymous unless I’m told otherwise. All payment and shipping info will be made available to the winning bidder. If I left anything out or you need more info just email me.
1 box/25+ Cuban cigars.
Partagas 15. Montecristo, #2 1. Lusitania 16. Sancho Panza, Belicosos 2. Churchill de Lux 17. Vegas Robaina, Unicos 3. 898 (Varnished Box) 18. Ramon Allones, Specially Selected RyJ 19. H. Upmann, Connossieur #1 4. Churchill 20. Cohiba, Robusto 5. Exhibicion #3 21. Cuaba, Exclusivo 6. Exhibicion #4 22. Juan Lopez, Seleccion #1(Cabinet) Bolivar 23. Saint Luis Rey, Serie A(Cabinet) 7. Coronas Gigante 24. Rafeal Gonzalez, Lonsdale 8. Royal Coronas 25. Assorted 2nd tier Cubans 9. Inmensas a. Jose L. Piedra, Brevas? Punch b. H. Upmann, Aromaticos & Coronas Major 10. Double Corona c. Quintero, Brevas 11. Churchill d. Statos de Luxe, Brevas 12. Royal Selection #11 HdM 13. Double Corona 14. Epicure #2
That’s it! I will try and hand pick the best cigars out of the box.
Please remember what a good cause your money will go to. Thank you in advance for your interest and generosity.
Brian Sasaki (brians) [historical email omitted]
UPDATE!! High Bid!!
Carson’s Fund Bid 10/23/98 7:45 am
Group This morning the bid shot up to $500.!!
Thanks guys brians
Bob “Dugoutdog” Clair’s auction
A December 2, 1998 appeal described a donated humidor and cigars for another benefit auction.
Auction Coming For Lanski Fund
2 Dec 1998 02:14:58 GMT
by
Bob Clair "Dugoutdog" <[historical email omitted]>
Last month YPeter had a contest which David Clark(FNCER) won. I bought the cigars sight unseen with the money going to the Lanski fund. I did this with the full intention of auctioning them off with those proceeds to go to the Lanski fund. David has sent the cigars to me and I have purchased one of the Sam’s Club humidors to hold all the cigars. There is currently enough cigars to fill a little over a half of the humidor. If you have wanted to contribute in some way to the Lanski fund but as of yet haven’t I could certainly use some more cigars to fill up the humidor. Through the generosity of ASC we have already reached the original goal before Jan 1st. We now have the opportunity to add significantly to that total. It is the season of giving, please reach into your heart and humidors this one more time. Thanks.
Please drop me an e-mail for my snail mail address.
I plan on starting the auction on about the 13th (after Rick Baker finishes his raffle for the Lanski fund) and end it on the 20th. I talked with Rick Baker about the auction he held last month and the things he learned. I will incorporate them into the rules of the auction.
Bob
Mango Joe’s post-Thanksgiving challenge
Groups gathering around the country were encouraged to combine small donations for Carson.
A challenge is issued, the gauntlet is thrown down, the game is afoot!
The Dallas ASC Post T-Day Herf issues the following challenge to all Post T-Day Herfs taking place around the country:
At the last event of your herf – dinner, the final store, or the final saloon – where the entire (and hopefully largest part of the) group is still together; pass the proverbial empty cigar box. Each participant is asked to give $10.00. This will go to the Carson Lanski Fund being set up through the wonderful efforts of Marc Goldstone and those who have already contributed.
Logistics: One person at each herf would be the "point man" for the collection, and then forwarding the funds to Marc Goldstone. Convert the cash portion of the collection into a cashiers check or money order. I would ask that all funds be sent via Fed-X or some other overnight service so there are no accountability questions (not that there would be any way).
In Dallas, by the end of the evening we are expecting around twenty five participants, and perhaps up to forty. Based upon the postings in the group, it looks like we have around five Post-T Day Herfs taking place. The herfs provide a perfect vehicle for people to participate in a significant way, especially those that may not have had the chance to, or felt that what they could contribute was to small. This really is an opportunity to show power in numbers. We could be looking at 100 or more participants around the country.
I would appreciate a roll call of Post-T Day herfs taking place around the country and anyone wishing to step up to be the point man for a specific herf. If this inspires anyone to organize a herf not yet set up, even better.
The challenge is before us. Let us all step up and answer the call to help the family of a fallen brother. "There, but for the for the grace of God, go I".
My Best, hoping for our best,
Mango Joe
What the archive can tell us
Several other benefits were linked from the original memorial, but their destination pages were not saved. Their names and reported totals are preserved above without links to obsolete auctions or unavailable sites. The fund’s old mailing-list and donation addresses are not presented as current ways to contribute.