Greyson Griffin eats an ice cream at the 2012 Kids Auction & World's Greatest BBQ fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada.
The 20th gala to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada will honor former Mayor Marv Teixeira and feature a new luau theme.
This year’s Kids Auction & World’s Greatest BBQ begins at 3 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Pony Express Pavilion in Mills Park. It includes the chance to bid for trips to Hawaii and New York City, or for a guitar signed by several rock stars. Various additional auction items will be up for bidding.
“This raises about 15 percent of our operations budget,” said Laurie Gorris, chief professional officer for the clubs. She stressed the importance of people coming to an event geared for fun and to promote a good cause.
Tickets cost $100 each or $1,000 for tables of 10. About 700 people are expected, Gorris said.
Along with all-you-can-eat barbecue, there will be a full-service bar, as well as dancing to tunes provided by a disc jockey for the festivities.
Because this year is the 20th anniversary, Gorris said, original board members also have been invited. Gorris credited Susie Messina, a current board member, for serving as event chairwoman.
She said the trip to Hawaii is valued at $5,000, the one to NYC is worth $4,000 and the guitar, which was donated by Supervisor Brad Bonkowski, is valued at $2,000. Among those whose signatures are on the guitar, she said, are Eric Clapton, Jon Bon Jovi and Meat Loaf.
As has been the tradition in recent years, Mike Pegram, Bodines and Carson Valley Inn owner, authorized auctioning off the right to name one of his thoroughbred race horses.
Bodines is among the gala’s sponsors. Others, said Gorris, are the Carson Nugget; Mass Mutual; Abowd & Rose Financial Group; Kassity Management; Coldwell Banker, Select Real Estate; Freeman & Williams, LLP; Western Nevada Supply Co.; Bank of America; Allison MacKenzie, Pavlakis et al; Kaempfer, Crowell, Renshaw; Miles Construction; City National Bank; and the Nevada Appeal.