Ephrata chamber goes to 'jail'

EPHRATA — Ephrata business members are looking for a bailout Friday.

The Ephrata Chamber of Commerce offers a Jail and Bail fund-raiser in conjunction with its Taste of the Basin auction April 21.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, the chamber has a jail all set up inside Ephrata's Washington Trust Bank, explained chamber Executive Director Suzanne Dahl.

"You can have your boss, co-worker, anybody basically in the Ephrata area 'arrested' for a minimum of $5," Dahl explained. "For them to get out, bail is a minimum of $15. If you have a fear you may be arrested, you can buy insurance for $25 before that day."

Those participants who buy insurance can get $5 off their auction ticket, which run $30 or $250 for a table of 10. Those who pay more than $15 to get out Friday also get $5 off their tickets as well.

"This year we're doing a Wild West theme, a Western theme, so we were deciding to do something like the Jail and Bail," Dahl said. "You can't really do a 'hold-up,' because nowadays, that probably wouldn't go over so well. We just want to have fun with it, basically."

Funds raised go into chamber operations to promote and increase business, marketing and for chamber events and functions.

For more information, call the chamber office at 509-754-4656. To purchase auction tickets, contact In the Spirits, Nature's Reflections and the chamber office.

The auction takes place at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic School gymnasium for the first time, Dahl said.