How much did the 12th Annual ACORN Crab Fest raise?

The NyE Communities Coalition Activities Center was awash with the glow of contented community members following the feast at the 12th Annual Crab Fest, an event featuring hundreds of pounds of freshly-flown-in Dungeness crab and, more importantly, fundraising in the name of foster youth.

When a child must be removed from their home and placed into foster care, the experience can be extremely traumatic - and the court system can compound this trauma if the child feels their voice is lost in the process. “While lawyers on both sides submit piles of documentation and briefs to the court, these children get no say in their future. Sound heart-breaking?”

It’s a query posed by Advocates for Children of Rural Nevada (ACORN), a nonprofit organization with a mission of giving foster children a chance to have their own thoughts and feelings represented. By recruiting, training and supporting what are formally known as court-appointed guardian ad litem, ACORN works to connect foster youth throughout Nye and Esmeralda counties with volunteers who will advocate in court on their behalf.

Hosted Saturday, Feb. 15, ACORN’s 12th Annual Crab Fest saw a sold-out crowd and set an all-time record for amount raised. ACORN Executive Director Kathie McKenna raved about the turnout, enthusing that this year’s event was fantastic with 215 supporters, including several local notables.

“Commissioners Bruce Jabbour and Ron Boskovich came out, county manager Brett Waggoner and judge Kim Wanker were there and of course our district attorney, Brian Kunzi, who was our chef and server for the evening,” she detailed. “All proceeds from Crab Fest go toward recruiting and training qualified volunteers who will in turn advocate for abused or neglected children in the foster care system. It is only through the community’s generous and continued support that we can continue to bring a voice to these children.”

So just how much did this year’s Crab Fest manage to raise?

“The auctions and raffles alone – the biggest prize was a one-week vacation in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo - brought in $9,000 and the Crab and Shrimp nets - which totaled over $2,000 in prizes - brought in $2,600. Altogether, our revenue was over $38,000 which is our best yet!” McKenna reported with evident delight. “I would like to thank all of our sponsors, staff, event coordinators and volunteers who make this event possible. I would especially like to thank you – each and every one of you – for helping us bring action to ACORN.”

Crab Fest Captain’s Table sponsors for 2025 included 775.FYI, Desert View Hospital, Brian Kunzi, Sofos-Alexis Deuker Law Firm, the Prickly Pears, Robin Holseth Law Firm, Meadows Bank, Waste Connections, Estates 411, Pahrump Family Medical and Valley Electric Association. Pirate’s Table sponsors included James Gunny and Ellen Arntz, Roland Law Firm, KNYE 95.1 Radio/Karen Jackson, James and Rebecca Oscarson, Leeward Energy and Paul Healey and Sons CPA.

As to the purpose of ACORN’s operation, the nonprofit really boils down to helping foster children during an extraordinarily difficult time in their lives, “… so that every abused or neglected child in our area can be safe, have a permanent home and have the opportunity to thrive,” ACORN states.

Currently, ACORN has 22 volunteer advocates who are actively working with 62 foster children and an additional six volunteers are in training at present. But the need is greater than the group has been able to cover and recruitment of even more advocates is imperative. McKenna reported that as of the end of February, there were 21 children/15 sibling groups still waiting for their own advocate, someone who can take the time to dive deeper into each child’s unique, individual situation, needs and desires to ensure their voices are represented in court.

Another volunteer advocate training course is slated for later this year and anyone looking for a way to contribute to their community in a truly meaningful way is encouraged to sign up.

“If interested, please contact us by calling 775-505-2272, emailing info@acornv.org or going to the website ACORNV.org and completing the application,” McKenna instructed.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com