Crowd gathers for 'Surf and Turf' fundraiser

Fans of steak, crab and sports opportunities for area youngsters filled the Kiawanda Community Center on Saturday, March 23 for the second annual Surf and Turf Dinner and Auction in an effort to raise funds for the development of a sports complex to be located behind Nestucca Valley Elementary School.

The eventual sports complex, which will include a high school baseball field, a high school softball field and two additional fields to host tournaments at, is a project of Nestucca Valley Athletic Supporters, Inc., which put on the fundraiser.

A VARIETY of items, ranging from gift certificates to a rifle, were available to bid on at a silent auction during the Nestucca Valley Athletic Supporters, Inc's "Surf & Turf" fundraiser on March 23.

Photo by Tim Hirsch

An estimated 175 supporters turned out for the event, which included both silent and oral auctions, as well as raffles and a variety of other fundraising activities. Entertainment was provided by the musical talents of Mario Venti and company.

At press time, it was not known exactly how much was raised, but Ken Hurliman, president of NVASI, told the Sun that he expects the fundraiser to come close to matching last year’s event. In 2018, the event raised just over $30,000 for the coming sports complex.

“The event went very well,” Hurliman said. “Overall, everything ran smooth. All the volunteer help was phenomenal. Everyone I talked to said the dinner was great (and) the food was phenomenal. I don’t think anyone went away hungry.”

He credited the success of the event to the numerous volunteers as well as the leadership of event lead Josh Armstrong.

“Having the kids serve the food at the event and do cleanup was a real neat thing to see,” Hurliman added. “It makes the whole thing work well and the guests appreciate seeing the kids help out.”

For more information on NVASI and its plans of creating a sports complex, visit nvasi.org.