EACH Foundation Auction & Dinner raises thousands

The East Adams County Healthcare Foundation went back decades for its old-school dance-themed auction and dinner, raising several thousands of dollars at the annual event on Nov. 2.

Along with a dinner catered by Classy Country Catering, the event featured an expansive silent and live auction that raised thousands of dollars. The funds raised during the evening by EACH go to a plethora of different causes in the Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 communities, such as helping provide upgrades for the East Adams Rural Healthcare hospital, the clinics, EMTs and other local healthcare needs and trainings.

Earlier this year, the EACH Foundation also helped Lind-Ritzville High School student Diamond Spain raise funds so she could attend a 10-day medical program at Stanford University over the summer.

"I learned so much and I grew so much as a person throughout those 10 days, and I just wanted to say thank you one more time to everyone who helped contribute," said Spain following the live auction.

The EACH Foundation also awards two scholarships each year to seniors in eastern Adams County. The $1,000 Ronald W. Baumann Memorial Scholarship are awarded to individuals pursuing an education in the healthcare field at the college level that live within the hospital district, covering the communities of Ritzville, Lind and Washtucna.

"[Several organizations] depend upon what we raise for them," said Jerry Snider, the auctioneer during the evening's live auction. Snider highlighted Shelley Kramer for her work with the EACH Foundation and helping the event run as smoothly as possible. Kramer coordinated and assisted in helping secure a majority of the live auction items that attendees bid on.

The highest-selling auction item of the event was a treasure chest filled with wine, chocolates, snacks and 300 gold-plated Susan B. Anthony $1 coins. The jam-packed treasure chest was donated by RiverBank and sold for $375 to Pete Spain.

EARH CEO Corey Fedie had the second highest-selling auction item of the event, bidding $325 for a Case IH mini tractor and wagon that was donated by the Odessa Trading Company.

Pete Spain Construction also donated two loads of gravel, a yearly fixture during the live auction portion of the event. The two loads sold for $200 and $300, respectively. Other items up for bid included a hand-crafted porch bench donated by Phil Bowman, an all-in-one computer donated by Cory Bartlett, a compressed pallet of hay donated by K-3 Ranch and a handmade lap quilt donated by Kelly Haptonstall.

In all, the live auction portion of the evening raised north of $3,300. A total number raised during the evening has not yet been released. Following the live auction, those in attendance were asked to commit to bringing two people with them to next year's event.

"It's not just the hospital [that benefits from the funds being raised], it's the whole healthcare community clear up toward Cheney to clear down to Washtucna to clear past Lind," said Snyder at the end of the evening. "And you think of all those areas and how much that [these funds] are needed here. It's a fight to keep critical access hospitals. It's a fight to keep them."