Boys & Girls Club finds support in Basin
Erin Stuber/Columbia Basin Herald<br>Todd Leavitt of Miller's Fine Jewelers looks for the half-carat diamond at the diamond draw at the Boys & Girls Club auction Saturday. Cindy Cacchiotti took home the diamond donated by Miller's Fine Jewelers and KDRM.<br>Heath Justesen pours a sample of one of numerous wines available for tasting at the annual Boys & Girls Club auction Saturday for girlfriend Leta Pimentel.<br>At center, Ryan Graves, director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin, presents the head table with a bottle of wine at the annual auction he…
Saturday auction raises about $116,000
MOSES LAKE — This year's annual Boys & Girls Club auction was another success, according to Ryan Graves, director of the organization for the Columbia Basin.
By Sunday, Graves determined about $116,000 was raised through the Saturday evening event held at the Moses Lake Convention Center.
"It's about $20,000 higher than last year," Graves said.
"I hope it's just the quality of the event and the larger crowd," he said of the increase in funds raised, though he also attributed the growing community support to the number of services and developing public attention to local Boys & Girls Clubs.
"People were really, really happy to support the effort," he said.
The funds will benefit the technology lab capabilities in all four clubs in Moses Lake, Quincy and Othello. The money will also support 10 Americorps personnel currently serving at the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Graves said 260 people attended this year's auction, a dramatic climb from the first event six years ago when only 90 people in attendance raised $28,000. This year, a single bidder alone gave $20,000.
The fifth annual diamond draw held at the event raised $3,600 for local Boys & Girls Clubs. Auction attendees purchased $20 numbered rings for a chance at a half-carat diamond donated by Miller's Fine Jewelers and KDRM. Cindy Cacchiotti took home the diamond.
One of the highest bid items Saturday night was a private dinner which brought in $4,400. The dinner for eight will feature several courses of French-Northwest cuisine and will be hosted by Don and Doreen McGraw. A trip on a houseboat on Lake Roosevelt also brought in $4,200.
There were 43 items at the live auction this year, the most ever on the auction block ran by auctioneer Chuck Yarbro Jr. with help from emcee Bob Trask.
But the auction item which grossed the most donations for local Boys & Girls Clubs wasn't extravagant or gourmet.
The fund-an-item brought in a total of $31,000. Community members donated in increments of $5,000, $1,000, $500, $250 and $100 just to support the 6,000 children who visit Boys & Girls Clubs in the Columbia Basin every year.tt>ail Message…Text File….Ae?””About Outlook Express.