MOSES LAKE — There will be pink at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin benefit auction Oct. 5.  

This year’s theme is Barbie, the iconic American teen doll that’s been letting children play dress-up for 65 years and starred in her own $1.44 billion blockbuster movie last year. Since the toy’s introduction in 1959, more than a billion Barbie dolls have been sold, according to the manufacturer, Mattel. And that’s not counting her boyfriend Ken, nor the various friends, relatives and material possessions like a Corvette and the Malibu Dream House. And the infinite variety of outfits Barbie has for every imaginable occasion.  

But Barbie’s not just about the externals, Boys & Girls Club Director Kim Pope said. Over the decades Barbie has held more than 250 careers, according to Mattel, from ballerina to firefighter to astronaut to matador. That serves as an inspiration to children, Pope said. 

“We always tie our theme to something about our kids,” Pope said. “And we (tell) our kids you can be whatever you want to be. And so if you want to be a fireman, you can be a fireman. How can we help you do that at the club? That's always our goal. And they have Barbie with every career out there. So we want our kids to know there's no limit on what they can do. And if you if you dream to be something, we can help you make that happen.” 

The doors open for the live auction and banquet at 5:30 at the Big Bend Community College ATEC Building. Like last year, Firehouse Barbecue is catering a prime rib dinner, and Chuck Yarbro Auctioneers will conduct the auction. The emcee will be KXLY news anchor and Moses Lake native Derek Deis. 

The live auction and banquet has been sold out for a while, Pope said, but the online auction, which includes the silent auction items, started Monday. Prospective bidders can register at https://bit.ly/BGClubAuction24. 

The honor of picking the theme is traditionally one of the items sold at the live auction. Last year’s theme was “A Night at Hogwarts,” and attendees were greeted with a large replica of the Hogwarts Express train as they walked in. This year’s decorations will include something on the same scale, Pope said, although she declined to say what it would be. 

Other auction items will include Seahawks tickets, a hunting package various wine packages and a guitar autographed by Luke Brian, Pope said. 

The Boys & Girls Club serves about 600 Moses Lake students, many from low-income families, at six clubhouses. Membership for a child costs $15, but the actual cost of the program is much more, Pope said, and most of the money to fund club operations comes from the annual auction. Last year’s auction raised about $265,000, Pope said, but the need is even greater this year due to the financial problems the Moses Lake School District is facing. The clubhouses that offer after-school programs are paid for through the end of the year through a donation from Group14 and its construction partners, but the remainder of the school year starting in January is still unfunded. Pope estimated it would cost another $125,000 above the to keep those clubhouses open, over and above the funding required in past years. 

Those school clubhouses are vital, Pope said, because the relationship between the Boys and Girls Club and school principals and counselors lets both entities work for the kids’ benefit. 

“We have the same kids, and we care about the same kids, and so having that relationship (where the school can) say, ‘Hey, so-and-so had a really rough day today,’” then when they come to the club we can give them that extra attention that they need. “Or if kids come to the club and their parent doesn't pick them up at the end of the night, and we have to call the police to come and do a welfare check on the family, we can let the school know so that they’re prepared foe the next day. Those things are so important.” 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin expanded into Kittitas County last year, and there are clubhouses now in Cle Elum and the town of Kittitas, Pope said, but all of the money raised at the auction will stay in Moses Lake. 

“We really rely on the donations of our community to help us keep going and not not put that burden on the families,” she said. “Because we can't turn around and have the kids that live (in low-income neighborhoods) pay enough to cover all the expenses to run those programs. That becomes a barrier to the families that truly can't afford it.”  

“I hope everybody has their Barbie and Ken outfits ready,” she added. 

    Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin board member Rory Knapp, left, pours a glass of wine for Naomi Bridgeford of Moses Lake at the club’s 2022 dinner and auction. Local and regional wines are a large part of the annual event, which is Oct. 5 this year.