Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) held its first annual dinner and auction on March 11th at the Marriott Downtown Tacoma. The room was buzzing as guests enjoyed tray-passed hors d’oeuvre upon arrival, while they perused the silent auction items and mingled with fellow guests. When dinner was served, NWABA Board Chair, Erik Selden, welcomed everyone to this inaugural event, followed by words from Billy Henry and presenting sponsor, Mark Gingrich with Waste Connections.
The crowd was engrossed when three NWABA athletes (Cathy, Julie and Jieke) joined together on stage to speak about their personal journeys and heartfelt involvement with NWABA.
Then the competition began as guests raised their paddles to outbid each other for exciting live auction packages such as a Las Vegas Race & Play weekend, a rare bourbon package, trips to Edinburgh, Scotland and Puerta Vallarta and more.
NWABA celebrated with this successful evening with the largest audience ever for a first time event, raising over $80,000 to fund programs and services in the Puget Sound area. As guests were leaving the ballroom, many were already planning for next year!