MOSES LAKE — Skylar McKinsey is one of the reasons over 200 people gathered in the 4-H Building at the Grant County Fairgrounds last Saturday for an event that raised $42,500 for Youth Dynamics.

“Youth Dynamics is where kids get together and we all can have fun times together, or play games or offline games,” the 13-year-old McKinsey said.

It’s not just that, he said. It’s also the summer trips — time in the wilderness, away from the world, going down a river or hiking or, as McKinsey noted, riding an inner tube down a huge hill.

“It was very fun,” he said. “The whole thing was fun.”

The gathering, according to Youth Dynamics Moses Lake Director Sean Sallis, was to raise money for those activities — the camping, the hiking, the river rafting, the downhill tubing, all the “very fun” things Youth Dynamics does — and according to Sallis, the Saturday banquet and auction is the organization’s primary fundraiser for the year, with all of the proceeds going to support Youth Dynamics’ outdoor ministries.

“All this activity here, all these generous people that are here, the funds from this event go directly to general operations, adventure trips and special projects,” he said. Zero money goes to salaries. Our staff within the ministry raise their own support.”

According to the organization’s website, Youth Dynamics was formed in 1970 as an outdoor ministry to help teens and young adults aged 11-24 with their faith through challenging outdoor experiences and creating and sustaining interpersonal relationships. Based in Burlington, Youth Dynamics organizes outdoor adventures and hosts retreats, has ministries aimed at middle school and high school students, and helps young people learn leadership skills that can better prepare them for life.

“Our mission and vision is to invite and challenge youth to a lifelong adventure with Christ and his church,” Sallis said.

This summer’s trip involved a 28-mile excursion down the Deschutes River in Oregon with eight students, Sallis explained. Additional activities involve rock climbing, backpacking and horseback riding, but all those are designed to help foster and center a faith in Jesus in the lives of the participants, as well as a chance to get away from the world for a while.

“It gives kids a chance to be away from their phone, away from their environment, away from the distractions in their life, to go and have a fun time,” he said. “And we relationally introduce Christ to them on those trips, and it has a deep impact when they come back home.”

Sallis said Youth Dynamics keeps the relationships going by its afternoon and evening activities at its church at 106 E. Third Ave. in downtown Moses Lake.

Dennis Fountain, the pastor at Moses Lake Baptist Church, said it’s important to have organizations like Youth Dynamics to allow adults to give back to the community and to help shape the lives of the region’s youth.

“Just giving kids time, spending time with young people and helping them see the important things of life and understanding that there’s more to life than just themselves,” he said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at [email protected].