Thousands of dollars raised at Taste of the Basin
Candice Boutilier/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Chamber Board President Kevin Darby drew names from a bowl held by Basin Summer Sounds Chair Janice Moore. Chamber Executive Director Tia Tracy (center) announced the names of those who won door prizes.
EPHRATA — Nearly 200 people attended the Taste of the Basin in Ephrata Saturday night to raise funds for the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce.
Although an estimate of how much money was raised was not available, several thousand dollars were collected.
During the event, guests enjoyed wines from several wineries, including many situated in the Columbia Basin, with a catered dinner.
There was a silent action and a live auction.
All the items were donated by the community. Items ranged from vacations, to gift certificates to an autographed guitar.
The theme of the 2009 Taste of the Basin was “A Century to Remember,” said Chamber Executive Director Tia Tracy. The theme was chosen to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Grant County and Ephrata.
She said it is the biggest fund-raiser of the year for the chamber and goes toward chamber sponsored events.
She said planning for the event began in January and was made possible by hours of volunteer work.
Chamber Board President Kevin Danby said a special wine was chosen for the event. The wine, called “Centennial Select,” has an orange and black label featuring the Grant County Courthouse to celebrate the city and the county’s 100th birthdays.
It was produced at Ginkgo Forest Winery in Mattawa, said winery Consultant Rusty Figgins. Only 300 bottles of the wine were made and were selling by the case Saturday night, he said.
The wine was aged 30 months and was a combination of 50 percent cabernet sauvignon, 38 percent syrah and 12 percent merlot, Figgins said.
He said he plans to help the chamber continue to choose a wine tailored for future Taste of the Basin fund-raisers.
One of the most noteworthy items up for auction was a pearl colored electric Fender guitar, said Danby. The guitar will be autographed with a personal message from musical band Smash Mouth, who is headlining the Basin Summer Sounds this year.
Chris Harrison won the bid war with $1,900.
“We love the whole concept of bringing Smash Mouth to Ephrata,” he said. “We think it will put Ephrata on the map.”
Harrison added he will be learning how to play guitar soon.
During the event the Basin Summer Sounds poster was unveiled featuring a graphic design of a guitar encompassing images from past summer sounds concerts. It was created by graphic artist Steve Lovitt.