LOGAN SQUARE — Frank Robb, the Florida gator trapper known for rescuing Chance the Snapper from the Humboldt Park lagoon in 2019, will be back in Chicago this weekend to raise money for his wildlife work.
Robb is hosting a fundraiser 2-6 p.m. Sunday at Revolution Brewing’s Avondale taproom, 3340 N. Kedzie Ave., with a raffle, Revolution beer and free pizza.
All of the money raised from the raffle will benefit Robb’s nonprofit, EEARSS, which stands for Environmental Education Awareness Research Support and Services. Admission is free.
Through the nonprofit, Robb studies the toxicology and endocrinology of alligators and does wildlife research focused on alligators and other reptiles, including sea turtles and gopher tortoises. He also hosts educational workshops at schools and institutions across the country, teaching “the importance of the environment, the organisms and life forms within it,” according to the nonprofit’s website.
A shark fishing trip, a wildlife adventure with Robb and an electric cigar box guitar are among the experiences and items going up for raffle at Sunday’s event.
There will also be live animals, including a crocodilian, at the fundraiser, courtesy of Rob Carmichael with the Wildlife Discovery Center in suburban Lake Forest, Robb said.
Robb is hailed as a hero for his role in the Chance the Snapper story of 2019, which delighted people across the country.
A neighbor spotted a small gator roaming the Humboldt Park lagoon, setting off gator fever across the city.
Robb, brought in from Florida after a fruitless, weeklong search for the gator, earned celebrity status when he caught the evasive reptile in a day. City leaders invited him to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game and turn on Buckingham Fountain. The gator was nicknamed Chance the Snapper by Block Club readers.
Robb, a gator trapper with 27 years of experience, has considered Chicago a second home since the famous catch. He said throwing a Chicago fundraiser to support his research has been in the works for about a year.
“It’s like everything else with this story: It’s a lot of people being blessings in my life that are allowing this opportunity to come to fruition,” he said.
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