East Alton, IL () May 22, 2009 — Scores of items were auctioned off to eager bidders last night, but it was two local
charities that were the big winners of the evening. Over $130,000 was raised at the SimmonsCooper Third Annual Dinner Auction for local chapters of Habitat for Humanity and the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI). "SimmonsCooper and its Employee Charitable Foundation is thrilled with the result of the Third Annual Dinner Auction,” said SimmonsCooper founding partner, John Simmons. "It is wonderful that our employees and friends, their families and other local businesses have given so generously. On behalf of the firm, I would like to thank each and every one of the participants and contributors – especially in this economy.” Some of the items up for grabs at the live auction were home plate seats to a Cardinals-Cubs baseball game in September, a 7-night European getaway, and a weekend trip to see the Dallas Mavericks play NBA basketball. is a non-profit housing organization that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from Madison and Bond Counties, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. (NAMI of Madison County) is a non-profit support group for the family and friends of persons with mental illness. It provides a monthly "Caring and Sharing” session, as well as educational sessions on mental illness. NAMI of Madison County provides a much-needed roadmap to recovery through the services it extends to the community.