Bingo nights raise money for K-9 programs

MOSES LAKE — About 100 people filled the Moses Lake Taproom Thursday, hoisting pints and stamping bingo cards to support Columbia Basin K9s. So far this year, the bingo nights have raised a bit more than $100,000 for various local organizations, said Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete.. 

“I’ve done a ton of fundraisers down there over the last couple of years, and that was probably one of the biggest ones,” said Kriete, who served as MC and bingo caller for the event. 

The event raised $7,200 toital, according to Deputy Zane Bundy, a K-9 handler for the GCSO. The money will be split evenly between Grant County, Adams County and Moses Lake.

The event benefited Columbia Basin K9s, a foundation that finances the K-9 officer program for local law enforcement agencies. Besides the bingo, there was a 50/50 raffle, where patrons could buy a ticket for a drawing at the end of the night. The winner split the pot in half with Columbia Basin K9s.  

“Last year we got almost $2,000 in that pot,” Katie Smith, with Columbia Basin K9s, told the crowd. “The winner took home about $920, which is a pretty good Thursday night.” 

There was also a table of merch including hats, hoodies and stuffed K-9s, and A-Crew BBQ and Catering had a trailer set up outside with dinner for $15 per plate. The proceeds from those sales were split 50-50 with Columbia Basin K-9s. 

The GCSO has been holding bingo fundraisers at the Moses Lake Taproom for several years, Kriete said, supporting not just Columbia Basin K9s but also Care Moses Lake, the Boys & Girls Club, the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation and other local organizations. In 2023 and 2024, more than $65,000 was raised through bingo fundraisers, Kriete said, and he expressed appreciation for the Taproom’s partnership and the community’s support. 

“And the Taproom keeps nothing,” Kriete said. “Everything that the charity raises at the Taproom goes 100% to the charity.” 

The owners also contributed several times Thursday to the pot, Kriete said. 

Bingo calling isn’t the first thing most county sheriffs put on their resume, but Kriete added it in 2023 shortly after the Moses Lake Taproom opened, he said. He and the Stakelin Family, which owns the Taproom, had been longtime friends and when a local charity approached them about doing a charity night, Kriete volunteered to help. 

“I said, ‘Oh, man, that sounds fun. I’d love to call bingo for you. That’d be a hoot,’” he said. “I filled in for him, and that night I had probably three or four people from different charities say 'Can you do this again for us?’”  

Columbia Basin K9s is an important partner with the GCSO, Kriete said. The dogs themselves cost $15,000-$25,000, he said, and then the handler and dog have to undergo 10 weeks of training. Add food, boarding and veterinary bills and keeping a K-9 unit is a costly business. 

“The majority of it still (comes from) donations from the community,” Kriete said. “Even though we do now finally have a line item in our budget for a K-9 program, it’s pretty miniscule for the need that we have. So the community really picks up the slack on that.” 

The four-legged officers are well worth it to the law enforcement agencies, Kriete said. 

“They're a huge resource,” he said. “They're very good dogs when it comes to tracking and apprehension. And they're a deterrent. If (deputies) have to get physical with people, the dogs step in and they do that. We don't have to risk the injuries to the deputies … When you’ve got a fur missile coming at you, you don’t want to have to have a conversation with it.” 

Grant County is an exceptionally generous community when it comes to fundraisers like the ones at the Moses Lake Taproom, Kriete said. 

“It's unbelievable the giving power of our community and the support that we have as law enforcement,” he said. “We are very, very fortunate to live here, and we're extremely fortunate to have the support that we have from our community.” 

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the amount of money raised for the Columbia Basin K9s program. It has been corrected above.

    Katie Smith, left, with Columbia Basin K9s, talks with Moses Lake Police officer and veteran K-9 handler Nick Stewart at the bingo fundraiser at the Moses Lake Taproom Thursday.
  

    Patrons line up to buy a beverage at the Moses Lake Taproom Thursday during the bingo fundraiser to benefit Columbia Basin K9s.