MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Food Bank has more money thanks to 18 gingerbread houses and a few generous bidders.

The Columbia Basin Job Corps auctioned off gingerbread houses Thursday designed and created by the organization's culinary arts students at a Community Relations Council luncheon. After the silent auction ended, a total of $480 was presented to the food bank. Members of the council also brought unwrapped toys to the luncheon to benefit the food bank.

Culinary arts student Damon Wheelhouse, 22, said the gingerbread house he built was the first in a long time.

"The only other one I recall making was when I was seven or eight with my grandma and my cousin," Wheelhouse said.

He said the gingerbread houses came from kits, but the structural design was up to students. Wheelhouse made a pathway of Tootsie Rolls leading to his home, a licorice chimney and a candy cane covered rooftop.

He said he enjoys constructing plastic models such as airplanes and incorporated his knowledge into building the house.

"I just applied what I learned from doing that to my gingerbread house," he said.

The only problem he encountered was getting candies to stick to the sides of the house.

After graduating from Job Corps in February, Wheelhouse plans to move to Maryland for advanced culinary arts training at a different Job Corps site.

"The big picture is to own my own restaurant," he said.

Caleph Kirkwood, 22, said he would have made his gingerbread house more colorful, if he had extra time. His house included green coconut shavings for grass and white coconut shavings for snow. A gingerbread man was pasted to his house. The last time he attempted to make a gingerbread house, he was ten years old.

"It didn't work out because I got too hungry," Kirkwood said.

Thursday was Kirkwood's last day at Job Corps. If it weren't for culinary instructor Theresa Clement, he would not be graduating, he said.

"I have to say I felt she was a friend to me, and I knew I could count on her," he said.

After graduation, Kirkwood plans to become a cook. He is not sure what he is going to do after that, but he knows he is not giving up.

"I really can't say," he said. "I just want to have a career and have a life."

Executive Manager for the Port of Moses Lake Craig Baldwin went home with two gingerbread houses, which he planned to display at the airport.

"I think the students did a great job," Baldwin said.

Seven of the gingerbread houses went to the Boys & Girls Club.