David Stimac’s curiosity sparked an impressive woodworking business in this humble Upper Peninsula town, where handcrafted tables have become powerful fundraising tools for the Copper Country Humane Society.
Since 2007, Stimac and his wife Diane have donated a handmade bird’s eye maple coffee table annually to the animal shelter’s raffle. The tradition has generated more than $140,000 in support of the organization’s mission. Over the years, the couple has traveled across the country, met new friends, and learned new skills that have enhanced their craft.
The partnership began unexpectedly. When a CCHS board member suggested a cutting board for a part of the society’s annual basket raffle. But Stimac had another idea that turned into an annual partnership.
“I said, what, a cutting board? What are you going to do with a cutting board? You need something good,” Stimac recalled. “And I was mucking with the tables. So that’s how this started. I said, we’re going to do a table for the animal shelter to raise some serious money. And it kind of worked.”
The latest creation features gemstones inlaid into the surface, a testament to Stimac’s evolving artistry. He began inlaying gemstones into the coffee tables after becoming close friends with John Sikorsky of L’Anse. At the time Sirkorsky needed a new wood worker to build frames for clocks he built. Stimac would go onto take the joinery from those clocks to build coffee tables.
His portfolio started with a handful of kaleidoscopes before moving on to craft intricate furniture pieces with Upper Peninsula bird’s eye maple, that capture collectors’ attention. Another piece Stimac build takes up to 300 or more hours to complete. He learned from Tom Bazis how to carve the correct joinery for the sliding dove tail joints. He says the shop’s presence in Alberta surrounded by the Ford Forestry Center has introduce his passion to new minds. Recently a Michigan Tech forestry student stopped by to show off a hand carved wooden canoe paddle, Stimac was quite impressed by.
“Now that the mill is being restored, and a lot of this history is being highlighted. You won’t believe the number of people popping in here. So it’s good,” explained Stimac. “It works both ways for the history, for MTU. We’ve got the forestry program, which is a great program. And that’s what’s really neat is the kids in the forestry program. I mean there’s some talented kids out there.”
Raffle winners often express genuine surprise when contacted about their victory. “You call up the people that won and they don’t believe you,” Stimac said. “And then they realize, oh, wait a minute, I did buy a ticket for a table many months ago. And they go crazy. There are people winning it. They really like it. It’s cool. But all those people too all believe in that shelter.”
The bird’s eye maple used in Stimac’s creations comes primarily from the Upper Peninsula, one of only a few regions where environmental conditions force trees to develop the distinctive small knots that give the wood its prized appearance.
“High elevation, prone to drought, northeast slopes, away from the sun, real crowded conditions, growing under stress, kind of like me,” Stimac explained with humor. “And that’s what triggers the bird eye to form in the tree. And it’s really just a thing of nature. You can’t plant it, can’t transplant it, you can’t control it.”
Two years ago, the Stimacs channeled their talents toward another cause, raising funds for UP Honor Flights. One generous supporter purchased $5,000 worth of raffle tickets and won that year’s $6,000 table—then donated it back to the shelter.
The Copper Country Humane Society will select the winning raffle ticket at its annual Raise the Woof fundraiser in 2027. Raffle tickets cost $10 and are available online, at Nature’s Way Gift Shop in Alberta, and at the animal shelter in Houghton. Funds raised support the shelter’s animal care, including surgeries, nutritious food, and enrichment activities.
Learn more about the Bird’s Eye Maple and Gem Coffee Table Raffle supporting the Copper Country Humane Society here. Learn more about the shelter’s future events and fundraisers here.
Comments