“It was a great event supported by a wonderful community who continues tomake sure that we serve the kids that need us the most. Raising over $40,000for both nights, it was a testament to our community’s support and to howdelightful the Keys for Kids event is.”~Mark Lawrence, Board PresidentKEYS FOR KIDSPhoto by FoxLight8
On June 24th and 25th the Boys &Girls Clubs of Skagit County heldtheir Fundraiser, Keys for Kidsfor the second year in a row, thistime adding a second evening. Featuring a dueling pianoshow performed by Kirk Garrett and Rich Wyman, ofKiller Keyz, the event took place at La Conner Flats wherethe flowers and gardens were in full bloom, and the atmospherewas perfect for an evening outdoors.Each evening opened with a social hour and an opportunityfor guests to play minute-to-win-it games for achance at raffle prizes. Some were embracing the competitionas friends cheered them on, laughing as theyraced to unwrap a candy bar with oven mitts on. Manyenjoyed the photo booth with wacky props on hand, andothers were happy to relax under the big tent with selectionsfrom Thurston Wolfe Wines and Boundary BayBrewery. A lovely dinner was served by Avenue Catering,as guests got the opportunity to visit with friendsand make new acquaintances.Kirk and Rich got everyone out of their seats early, laughingand clapping, as they captured someone who wasnot so keen to be volunteered, to demonstrate a choreographedversion of “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog” by ThreeDog Night. They were a good sport, though, and inspiredeveryone get energized for a night of fun.The dueling piano duo did a tremendous job of engagingthe audience and encouraging guests to outbid songchoices, and each other. During the show, guests had theopportunity to hear their song by placing a bid, with highestbid on songs played first. Anyone could stop thesong playing by outmatching the bid by a dollar. OnFriday evening, “Uptown Funk,” by Bruno Marsbrought people to the dance floor, vying fortheir tempo and song, while 12 Variationsof “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”brought ovations from the audience. OnSaturday, the hotly contested “Friends in LowPlaces” by Garth Brooks, brought angst as half ofthe room loved country and the other half absolutelyhated it. In the end country won out with the most bids, adance floor take over, and a boisterous sing along.Jazzelle Elias, Skagit County’s 2015 Youth of the Year,gave a compelling speech on how the Club changed herlife when she needed it most, and other Club members followedher lead, learning how to speak confidently in frontof a crowd. Representatives from Tesoro took a moment toconfirm their commitment to fund STEM programs for theClubs, commented on their belief that the Clubs are a verysound investment, and celebrated the singular impact theClubs have in serving youth in the community.“It was a great event supported by a wonderful communitywho continues to make sure that we serve thekids that need us the most.” said Mark Lawrence, BoardPresident for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County.“Raising over $40,000 for both nights, it was a testamentto our community’s support and to how delightfulthe Keys for Kids event is.”Many fantastic photos from the event can be found onthe Club’s Flickr album. Just visit skagitclubs.org, click onNews & Events and follow the link from the menu on theright. Those interested in attending next year can also usethe form under the same menu to RSVP for 2017.Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County would like to thankthose people and businesses who operated behind thescenes and played a part in the event’s success.They are especially grateful to Grand Piano TitleSponsor, Tesoro, and all the sponsors andattendees that invested in Keys forKids to support youth. •••9
Change language