Main fund-raiser provides chance to dress up, socialize

COLUMBIA BASIN -One of the Basin's bigger events gets under way this weekend.

The Boys and Girls Club of the Columbia Basin's 12th annual auction, wine and microbrew tasting and dinner, themed "Quest For Kids," opens its doors Saturday at 5 p.m. at Big Bend Community College's ATEC Building.

The event is presented by main sponsor Moses Lake Lioness Club.

The live auction begins at 8 p.m.

"The purpose of the event is to raise money for our club houses," explained Brant Mayo, club executive director. "Generally, we charge $5 per kid per year to attend the club, and typically it costs us about $370 for each kid per year, so this auction is one of the events that helps us close that $365 gap there. We have more than 1,000 members, so you do the math. This is our big, main fund-raiser that really helps us."

More than 40 items are available in the live auction; the evening also includes a silent auction and a wine auction.

"We're really excited about the diversity of the live items we have this year," Mayo said.

Chuck Yarbro is auctioneer and Bob Trask, Jr. serves as emcee.

"It goes to obviously a worthy cause and I think too, it's one of the bigger events in the community," Mayo said. "It's a chance for people to come out, dress up - we don't always get that opportunity - socialize with 300 community leaders, it's just a great opportunity for us to get out and have a good time."

In keeping with the year's Renaissance-style theme, harpist Rena Hopson performs and the nonprofit organization Knights of Veritas offer an informational table during the silent auction, with Eric Slyter in a full suit of armor. Dinner includes a stage show put on by the Desert Dweller.

The event also includes the eighth annual diamond draw, featuring a drawing for a 1-karat diamond and a Heads and Tails Game.

"For $20, whoever purchases a ticket can enter and we basically, you stand up, put your heads on your heads or on your bottom on your tails and we flip a coin," Mayo explained. "You guess it right, you get to stand up and if it's wrong you sit down. It's a process of elimination, whoever's left wins a trip for two nights to the castle in Port Townsend."

Mayo expected more than 300 people would be in attendance.

For more information, call 509-764-9694.