More than $100,000 was raised by the Carpinteria Boys & Girls Club this past weekend as it held its 29th annual fundraising dinner.
The auction and dinner event — with a “cowboys and cowgirls” theme — was held Saturday night, as was attended by some 325 people, organizers said.
Through ticket sales and auction proceeds, the sold-out event accomplished the club’s goal of raising $100,000 for the club, according to Jamie Collins, unit director for the Santa Barbara County Boys & Girls Club Carpinteria Clubhouse unit.
“This event has such a strong hold in the community, so it’s been really easy to get people to come and support it,” said Collins, who started in the unit director position this August. “Our goal [of the evening] is to raise $100,000, and that supports all of our scholarships and transportation and sports programs and all that stuff.”
This year’s event brought in a new auctioneer from Washington, as well as a “golden raffle” that allowed one lucky winner to choose any live auction item that he or she desired.
The special raffle was limited to 50 tickets at $100 a pop.
The event featured some 300 silent-auction baskets and 15 live-auction items, ranging from food and drink to vacation packages. The theme of the event varies from year to year.
“Next year’s our 30th annual auction, so it’s going to be an even bigger event,” added Collins. “We’re actually sold out tonight, so get your tickets soon! That never has happened before.”
This unit of the Boys and Girls club consists of approximately 80 percent children from Carpinteria, with about 20 percent from Santa Barbara and Ventura.
“Be kind,” said Mary Staniforth, the lead teacher at this unit of the Boys & Girls Club. “This is for the children, and the children are the future.”
— Noozhawk intern Kelsey Gripenstraw can be reached at kgripenstraw@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.