Wholesome community support. That was the vibe that showed most during a fundraising event for the Grays Harbor Timberwolves in Aberdeen on Saturday, Jan. 21.
As families continued to pile into the cozy atmosphere within the 40 Et 8 veteran’s club, the Baked Potato Feed and Dollar Auction drew upward of 200 people to help raise money for a new year of travel baseball for kids within Grays Harbor.
“My husband and I have been coaching baseball since 1994. We started an organization for travel baseball so the boys could have another venue to play baseball and get good-quality coaching,” said Beth Troseth, one of the main organizers for Grays Harbor Timberwolves. “We hold events like this to help fundraise to pay for the eight tournaments a weekend that goes on during the travel ball season.”
Troseth said her family started the travel ball organization, which has teams of 11 to 13 years of age, 9 to 11 years of age, as well as eight and younger, with zero money and a goal of keeping player fees low so that more kids could have access to playing baseball compared to other areas. She said that while she has hosted other fundraisers in the past, this one was special due to the support of all the people who donated auction items and helped prep the food. Troseth also praised the staff of 40 Et 8 for letting her use their establishment as a venue.
“We’ve had such great support from our community. We live in the best community for this, the best ever. The turnout was a lot more than I expected when we first thought of this but it’s great to see all these people come to support the program. We’re going to need a bigger venue next time,” Troseth laughed.
While the line for the potato bar stretched to the opposite side of the venue at times, there was no doubt as to what the main attraction of the event was – the live auction. Unlike a normal live auction where the item goes to the bidder with the most money, the auction operated on a lottery-style basis as bidders were given a number for every dollar they gave, with the winner being chosen by a random number generator.
From booze baskets, outdoor recreation materials, gym memberships, spa certificates, house décor and Seattle Mariners tickets among vast other items, people flashed their dollar bills high in the air for a chance to win and raise money for the cause. After all the ticket sales and auction items closed, the fundraiser produced $4,270.
“It’s great to see the community come together after all the chaos in the last few years and raise money for kids to do something they love,” said Melissa Spring, an Aberdeen resident. “A lot of kids don’t have access to Little League teams or just want the chance to play more. Either way, I’ll happily donate my money for kids to have some fun.”
Contact Reporter Allen Leister at 360-463-3572 or allen.leister@thedailyworld.com
