Dr. Jack Schaeffer’s Crawfish Boil vision

Dr. Jack Schaeffer first got involved in the annual Crawfish Boil here in the city back in 1995.

The event has grown, and the money Dr. Schaeffer has given to charities has grown as well.

Friday night of this year’s event set a single night attendance record with around 28,000 people attending that night.

What makes the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil work? We take a look in this Spirit of Alabama report.

This is what they do at Schaeffer Eye Center: glasses, contacts, Lasik surgery…if it has to do with eyes and vision health….that’s there business.

But this is what they do too. This year’s Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil set a record for the largest one night crowd ever on Friday night.  Huge growth from when Jack Schaefer got involved back in 1995.

“You know the first year, and you were there, Camp Smile-A-Mile was there, leukemia was there and we think we had 2500 people,“ Schaeffer said. “It was a free event, no charge and we were still able to give money to charity with everything we were able to sell to corporations and donations.“

And that’s been the focus of the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil ever since Dr. Jack Schaeffer decided to get involved.

“Well, Aaron Beam and I, when we took this to the streets, we said no matter what happens, this event needs to be a city event, and if there are kids that need our help, this is one thing that we need to do, and both of us have stuck with that from the very beginning.“

Several years back, Jack made the decision that for the event to grow it had to be professionally managed. So he hired Red Mountain Entertainment to run the event for profit. But his sponsorship, his involvement would support his foundation and the charities that benefit every year. The crowds and the money raised for charity has exceeded his wildest dreams.

“I don’t know, if you had told me that we’d have 43,000 people every year go to this event, I would say Mike, you know you’re drinking the wrong coffee.“

Jack feels that having a diverse musical line-up, great food, and great security is the key to the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil growing over the years.

“Most important to me is the kids that you see me with from Camp Smile-A-Mile. Every year they’re there, except for one, and we miss him,” Schaeffer said. “But every year, those kids are there who are counting on me to make sure they get backstage to meet the bands, and to me that’s the most important thing.“

So the music will be there every year. That’s what the crowed pays to see, but the focus on charities hasn’t changed over the years and Dr. Jack Schaeffer says that as long as he’s involved, it never will.
 
And, that’s what you call great vision.  And, that’s the Spirit of Alabama.