Maricopa Rotary’s 22nd Annual Oktoberfest funds books and scholarships

The Maricopa Rotary Club held its annual Oktoberfest fundraiser Saturday night to support local schools and the community swimming pool. Two hundred people purchased tickets for the event held at Sonny Dunn’s barn.

Attendees enjoyed steak dinners and participated in live auctions followed by the chance to dance the night away to the music of former recording artists, Positive Attitude. The steaks, grilled to perfection by Owen and Scott Kelly and accompanied by a variety of side dishes and drinks, were so tender they could be cut easily with a plastic knife.

All the food for the meal was donated to the club so all proceeds could go to support the community.

While enjoying the food and the camaraderie, guests had the opportunity to peruse the silent auction tables and bid on the various items donated.

Some big-ticket items were auctioned off after dinner. They included tickets to local sporting events (donated by Edward and Lori Farrell), a Wii game console (donated by R. Dale Electric) and a brand new Dell laptop computer.

Will Dunn, host and auctioneer, solicited bids from the crowd, telling them, “This isn’t for Rotary. This isn’t for fun. This is for scholarships for the students of Maricopa who need a little help to go on to college.” The Rotary club provided $12,000 in scholarships for local high school students last year.

Karen Friess of Lance Lane State Farm, one of the event organizers, said the goal of the event is to “put a dictionary in the hand of every third grader and a thesaurus in the hand of every seventh grader.”

Rotarian Alma Farrell said she was really happy with the turnout, adding, “We (the Rotary Club) work so hard for the kids and to give back to the community. The Rotary Club has always been a part of that.” She spoke of how involved the Rotary Club was when she was a high school student. “When you grow up in a small town, it is so important to pay it forward because community is so important.”

Sponsors for the event included Crescent Crown Distributors, the Dunn Family, H & N Landscaping, El Dorado Holdings, The New HQ, Pinal Feed Company and Sunland Beef.

Rotary is looking for more parents and school personnel to become involved in the club and its projects. They also welcome the support of businesses in their goal of putting dictionaries and thesauruses in the hands of Maricopa students.

Photos by Carrie Vargas