Auction helps raise money for LHS athletics and activities fund

ANIMATED AUCTION: Doug Hislop served as the auctioneer during the La Grande High School Activity-Athletic Fundraising Banquet sponsored by the Oregon National Guard 3rd Battalion 116th Calvary. Observer photo/PAUL HARDER

The La Grande High School Activity-Athletic Fundraising Banquet sponsored by the Oregon National Guard 3rd Battalion 116th Calvary was a success, according to Teresa Dowdy.

“I was surprised with the overall figure we brought in. I wasn’t surprised with how the community came through,” Dowdy said.

Dowdy ran the event just how she ran the volleyball team during her years as Tigers head coach, with intense focus on the details and a smile on her face.

“People don’t realize how much work goes in to putting an event like this on. I have to thank all the committee members for doing an excellent job,” Dowdy said.

“I just hope this is a one-year thing. The community exhausted a lot of its resources for the event.”

The event raised a gross amount of $34,000. The silent and open auctions accounted for $20,350. There are still a few bills left to pay.

No one in attendance went away empty-handed.

For people not fortunate enough to win raffle items, they were still able to take home door prizes.

“It’s a pretty awesome event,”

La Grande School District Super Intendant Larry Glaze said. “Teresa and the members of the committee did an excellent job of putting together a big event.

“The turnout was excellent. It shows that people care about the kids.”

That they do.

Generously, a few people that won raffle items donated them back for auction. One shotgun, that wouldn’t have brought in any money ended up netting the cause $950. A hand-crafted lamp brought in more than $300.

The committee members also did a 50-50 raffle. Money poured in for that too, raising $740 total. The winner donated the money back to the cause.

Even the home-made desserts helped out. A two-cake set went for more than $100.

“People just gave,” Dowdy said. “I’m still pretty emotional about it. In an emergency the community really came together. I was impressed that so many items went for well over their dollar value.”

And thankfully the athletes were in full force.

The first cake, a cheesecake, met an untimely demise on the floor of the Blue Mountain Conference Center.

Joel Hasse raised the cake into the air for people to see. Slowly it slid down off the serving plate to the white floor. From then on out, the athletes held the cakes.

For the athletes the work isn’t over even though all the tables have been bused, and the floors swept.

They helped bring in more than $500 for offering their services in the silent auction.

Prior to the event, Dowdy received a $2,000 check from McDonalds. It was from the money raised at the La Grande Country Club Amateur sponsored by McDonalds. The event raised money for the Ronald McDonald House, and this year split the proceeds with the LHS athletics and activities fund.

Lions Club helps out athletics and activities

The Lions Club had jumped into the cause to help raise money for the La Grande High School athletics and activities cause.

“It’s great to see the Lions Club helping out the students,” Glaze said. “The whole community is coming together to help all these kids, and it’s a great thing to see. The Lions Club is already involved in so much around the valley. It’s great to see they are willing to stretch themselves out even more.”

The Lions donated $3,000 to the Tiger Booster Club to help fund scholarships for students.

“We really wanted to focus on the youth of La Grande this year,” Lions Club president Gary Tate said.

It just goes to show what goes around, comes around.

The Lions Club needed help during the Union County Fair during its fundraising effort.

Students from La Grande High School came to the cause by helping at the hamburger booth.

“It’s great to see how they wanted to come out and help us,” Tate said.

“We didn’t want to think about what some of these kids would be doing if they couldn’t participate in athletics or activities. They are our future, and we needed to help them out. This is where our leaders are going to come from. We need to help them get those skills any way we can.”

The money will go to help pay for students unable to afford the higher pay-to-play costs.

“The local economy has taken a hit,” Tate said. “There are a lot of families that are struggling to get by. This is just a small way for us to help out.

“We’ll still be helping out all the other causes we usually do. It was just really important for us to help out the youth this year.”