Right to start Lakeland Electric's Unit 3 implosion to be auctioned off for charity

Sara-Megan Walsh, The Ledger
·2 min read

LAKELAND — Lakeland Electric's demolition contractor, New-York based Total Wrecking and Environmental, is auctioning the rights to press the plunger to start the implosion of C.D. McIntosh Unit 3's boiler on March 4.

The funds raised will be donated to charity.

Lakeland Electric's contractor Total Wrecking and Environmental has opened an auction for the rights to press the plunger on the implosion to bring down Unit 3's boiler. Pictured above, Unit 1, 2 and 3 have been decommissioned and are in the process of being demolished.
Lakeland Electric's contractor Total Wrecking and Environmental has opened an auction for the rights to press the plunger on the implosion to bring down Unit 3's boiler. Pictured above, Unit 1, 2 and 3 have been decommissioned and are in the process of being demolished.

Total Wrecking has launched an online virtual auction that starts the bidding at $3,000. Each bidder is required to enter their first and last name, email and phone number. Bids may be raised in increments of $25 and individuals who placed bids can elect to receive a notification when they've been outbid. There's also an option to purchase the rights for an upfront price of $30,000. The auction's website is protect-us.mimecast.com/s/UGAwC4xv1Rf7jApYks3tIrz.

The winning bidder will be notified by Total Wrecking after the auction closes at 9 p.m. March 2.

Frank Bodemi, Total Wrecking's owner, said he's previously auctioned off the right to "press the button" with his company raising $16,000 for the Make A Wish Foundation.

Lakeland Electric implosions:Did you hear it? LE implodes portions of Unit 3 power plant. See video

Previously:Work begins on demolition of cooling stacks at Lakeland Electric's McIntosh facility

Three veterans organizations have been chosen as the recipients for any money raised in Lakeland: WNY Heroes, Inc., Homes for our Troops and the Polk County Veterans Council.

"I love this country, it gave us the right to work hard and be able to make our own way in life," Bodemi said. "They are the ones who have fought for that. It's the only way I can give back."

WNY Heroes is a nonprofit that provides financial assistance for veterans and their families in 14 counties of Western New York and ensures they receive essential services through the Veterans Administration. The organization's area includes Total Wrecking's headquarters in Buffalo, New York.

Homes for our Troops is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to design and build specially adapted custom homes for severely injured post 9/11 veterans. Their website shows the group is currently working on homes for veterans in Kissimmee, Avon Park and the Tampa area.

Where is LE getting power?Lakeland Electric spent millions to buy electric from Orlando utility in 2022

Polk County Veterans Council is the local organization selected by Bodemi and Total Wrecking to receive a portion of the funds raised. It coordinates events throughout the year to recognize those who have served in the military, support them and networks with other groups that provide services for veterans. The council's website is polkveteranscouncil.com.

For individuals interested in donating but unable to attend the implosion, Total Wrecking is collecting donations for these three organizations in exchange for a live streaming link to watch the implosion at home. Those who donate toward the $5,000 goal will receive an email with a link prior to the event.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Contractor auctions off rights to start LE's Unit 3 implosion