Community Benefit returns

After a two years without an in-person Lincoln Community Benefit , the fundraiser made arousing comeback Saturday night, Nov. 5.

In a break from decades of tradition, the Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce handed the benefit off to Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society and the Ponderosa Snow Warriors after it became clear the Chamber didn't have the volunteer manpower to put it on.

UBVHS President Erin Dey, who was involved in organizing past community benefits for the LVCC, offered to have the UBVHS take it on during the September Chamber meeting. Mercill offered to have the Snow Warriors co-sponsor it. Dey said co-sponsoring helped make it easier, with good crews from both organizations.

The evening featured most of the staples of past community benefits, including a silent auction, dinner and the ticket number game.

The benefit also saw the return of the Lincoln Community Players to the stage after two years. They performed one of their traditional send-ups classic television show. This year's play, 'Lincoln's 'Gong' Talent' saw a mashup of a newscast, a commercial pitting A-holes against B-holes, an episode of the Carol Burnett show and the classic Gong Show.

"The only people who didn't enjoy it were the people who didn't come," said Snow Warriors President Forest Mercill.

Annette Gardner's 'Baba Wawa' and John Beckman's 'Water Crankcase' got the crowd fired up for the play with the opening "news cast" that featured comments about some of the changes in the last two years, including a jab that got a huge response from the crowd about the Bootlegger, which "had a rough opening and kicked a young local out for helping take out the trash."

Beckman later hammed it up as Chuck Barris, complete with costume changes and dancing during the wacky Gong Show performances.

In another change from past years - given the short-time frame and limited budget to pull the benefit together - the organizations opted to forego a fully catered meal. Instead they sprung for smoked pork loin prepared by KD Feeback and asked attendees who were willing to do so to provide a side dish or dessert for a potluck. Despite some unflattering pre-event chatter on social media about the plan, guest provided several salads, plenty of potato-based dishes and a wide variety of desserts.

"The feedback we've received was that the food was good, and a good variety," Dey said.

Malaya Joyce, Ellie Schouten and Sue Anderson volunteered to set up, manage the food line for the hungry guests and handle the dishwashing, while members of the two organizations helped clear tables.

The evening ended with the traditional ticket number game, in which balls with the ticket numbers are drawn in 10 rounds until they identify 10 finalists, who then take their chairs on stage for a shot at a $5000 first prize and a $1000 second prize. An auction for the 11th Chair this year brought in $1200 from Shea Forkan, which was matched this year by LincTel. Contestants were eliminated as the numbers for the 11 seats were drawn. Forkan drew the first number to be eliminated, which unfortunately was his own. Ultimately only Ede Baker and Susie Murphy remained on stage. The pair opted to forego drawing the final number, instead agreeing to split the pot and take home $3000 each. Murphy donated half her prize money back to the event.

Rather than asking organizations to submit requests for this year's 11th chair proceeds, the UBVHS and PSW agreed to put the proceeds toward the Lincoln Fireworks Fund. In the past, the benefit helped fund the Chamber of Commerce, including the fireworks, but with the future of the LVCC in question, the organizations felt it was best to help fund one of the town's most anticipated Independence Day events

Dey said the 50/50 raffle was unusually high this year, totaling $1860. The winner, Dawn Charron, donated half her winnings back to the Fireworks Fund, bringing the total money raised for fireworks, which included 10 percent of the ticket sales and the bar bid, to more than $5000.

When all was said and done, the Snow Warriors and Historical Society raised more than $8000 apiece for each of the organizations.

"This will easily be the PSW largest fundraising event this year and will greatly help keep our club financially sound and allow us to do what we do, provide and maintain some of the best snowmobiling trail systems in the Northwest," the Snow Warriors said in a Facebook post composed by Mercill and PSW Vice President Kevin Grantier.

Mercill, who called the night "awesome," said the Snow Warriors board voted to donate 10 percent of their proceeds from the night back to the Community Players. "We figure all boats can rise together."

"It was great," Dey said. "It had a few hiccups, but overall it went well. Lincoln always steps up, comes out and has fun."

She believes coordination on fundraisers is a good thing for both the community and the organizations. "It's better to co-host some things, like the Historical Society did with the Arts Council on the pasty sale. More help makes everything go easier."

With the LVCC expected to make some change next year if it survives, it looks like the Ponderosa Snow Warriors and Historical society will partner on the Community benefit again in 2023.

"I think it's about as neat a thing as this town has," Mercill said. "I think we're gonna keep it going forever."

"I look forward to next year." Dey said. "We work well together."