How much did the 2026 Crab Fest raise for Advocates for Children of Rural Nevada?

Foster youth are one of the most vulnerable populations, having their entire world turned upside-down due to abuse or neglect. At Advocates for Children of Rural Nevada (ACORN), they understand that this can be a very frightening time for children but that fear can be eased by connection with someone dedicated to representing their interests in the court system.

Through its foster youth advocacy program, ACORN strives to provide foster children in Nye and Esmeralda counties with trained volunteer advocates – or guardian ad litem – to be their voice.

As a nonprofit, the organization relies heavily on the generosity of the communities it serves to meet that mission. Following an extremely successful Crab Fest, ACORN is now well-positioned to take on 2026 and continue its work of helping foster youth through one of the hardest times of their lives.

Crab Fest took place Saturday, Feb. 7 at the NyE Communities Coalition Activities Center, where the room had been made ready for the messy fun of cracking into crab and digging into side dishes. Around the perimeter of the room, tables were laden with all sorts of items for the silent auction and Pick-A-Prize drawings, with the always-popular Crab Net, filled with gift certificates – nestled in a corner. On the main stage, attendees were able to preview what would be up for grabs in the live auction, including tickets to see the Golden Knights play in Las Vegas, a work of art from Written in Stone, a package from Aesthetic Enhancements, a framed Pete Rose display, a slushie party at Artesian Cellars and advertisements with the Pahrump Valley Times, KNYE Radio and ACE Country Radio.

“Crab Fest was fabulous!” ACORN Executive Director Kathie McKenna raved afterward. “We had great supporters, delicious crab and fun times; I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

With 220 community members in attendance that evening, it was a full house and everyone came ready to devour the feast. A total of 750 pounds of Dungeness crab was flown in the day before the event to ensure the crowd would be satiated and at the end of the night, it was clear the meal had not gone unappreciated, with full bellies and happy smiles all around.

This year’s Crab Fest brought in tens of thousands of dollars for the nonprofit, including $24,400 from ticket sales alone. The live auction pulled in nearly $9,000 while the silent auction raised $715. Crab Net brought in $3,000 and the Pick-A-Prize drawings earned $1,300. Adding in sales for crab scissors, extra crab left over at the conclusion of the event and donations, the total raised at Crab Fest 2026 came to approximately $40,000.

Prior to the event, ACORN also sold tickets for its Hawaii Vacation Raffle, in which one lucky winner gets the opportunity to spend a full week at the Ali’I Kai Resort in Princeville on the island of Kauai, plus $1,500 in cash. This garnered the organization a further $9,000.

“I have had a timeshare in Princeville Kauai for close to 30 years. Life gets busy and my husband and I cannot always attend,” McKenna explained of how the idea for the Hawaii Vacation Raffle came about. “I decided to start donating it to ACORN to raise additional funds for the organization. If I can’t use it, I might as well get it to someone who can and put the money to good use.”

The funds raised at Crab Fest will go toward maintaining ACORN’s operation, which focuses on recruiting volunteer advocates, giving them all of the training they need and then supporting them throughout their time as a volunteer, so they can be as big a benefit to foster youth as possible.

“We become the child’s constant in their little lives and make sure that their voices are heard by the court,” McKenna noted. “We advocate to make sure that they are getting the services and resources needed to overcome the abuse and neglect in their lives, with the hope that the children can be reunified with their parents.”

Anyone thinking about potentially becoming an ACORN volunteer advocate is encouraged to reach out soon, as the organization is gearing up for its next round of training.

“We are having a class starting in March and are looking for volunteers who are interested in being an advocate. Call us and talk with Julie Schmidt, our advocate coordinator/trainer. You can also email her or visit us on our website,” McKenna said.

Schmidt can be reached at 775-505-2272 or Julie@ACORNV.org

For more information, visit ACORNV.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com