Donation dinner set to support Pahrump Powwow

Each year the Pahrump Valley plays host to the annual Pahrump Inter-Tribal Social Powwow, an event rife with the culture and heritage of the Native American peoples and one that regularly draws thousands of attendees over three days of song, dance and celebration.

The undertaking requires a huge amount of effort and of course, quite a bit of funding, to put together and as such, the organization that brings this cultural festival to the valley, the Pahrump Social Powwow Committee, is always in need of contributions to help bolster the event.

Fundraising endeavors are a mainstay for the Powwow Committee, which relies heavily on the generosity of the community to raise the thousands of dollars needed to put on the Powwow every year. Powwow organizer and committee member Paula Elefante said the event runs the committee around $10,000 to host and any donations to the nonprofit organization are a great help.

Donation dinner

The next big fundraiser for the Powwow Committee is set for this Saturday, July 6 when the committee, with the generous assistance of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #10054, will host a donation dinner.

To feature hot and crispy chicken-fried steak, mounds of mashed potatoes, the patron’s choice of white or brown gravy, corn and rolls, the donation dinner will take place from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, July 6, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, 4651 Homestead Road.

For those with a sweet tooth, there will also be a selection of desserts, including pies and cakes, for $1 per slice, with the desserts donated by ladies from Faith Fellowship Church.

The dinner will be served on a donation basis with a suggested minimum donation of $10 per person.

While the feast will undoubtedly be a major focus, there will also be “brown bag” surprise raffles for patrons to take part in and the committee will be selling its black logo shirts for $15 each.

“We are so thankful to the VFW for hosting this dinner to get this year’s Powwow off to a great start!” Elefante enthused. “Hope to see everyone there.”

Powwow sponsorships

Sponsorships are another way residents and businesses can contribute to the Powwow Committee and they come chock-full of perks, depending on the level of sponsorship.

There are four levels of sponsorship in total, starting at the lowest, the Friends of the Powwow, which costs $50.

The Friends of the Powwow sponsorship earns the sponsor a mention on the Powwow Committee’s Facebook page and website, as well as a coupon for a free, delicious Indian taco and a beverage at the Powwow event.

The next step up is the Dance Sponsor at a cost of $250. This level includes a business card ad in the Powwow program, the sponsor’s name and/or logo on the Facebook page and website as well as on the sponsor sign that will be proudly displayed on the emcee’s booth at the event.

Dance Sponsors also receive dinner with the drums, dancers and vendors, along with a grand prize drawing ticket for the raffle.

The Aztec, Buffalo, Eagle Sponsor level is $500 and gets the sponsor all of the aforementioned Dance Sponsor items along with the ability to place their banner on the bleachers that will encircle the dancing area and an additional grand prize drawing ticket, for a total of two.

The highest level of sponsorship is the Drum Sponsor at $1,000 and this includes all Dance and Aztec, Buffalo, Eagle Sponsor perks as well as a total of four grand prize drawing tickets.

Recycling cartridges

In addition to hosting fundraising events and seeking sponsorships, the Powwow Committee also has a longstanding and continual initiative to collect and recycle used ink and toner cartridges as well as old cell phones.

Started in 2009, the recycling program is celebrating its 10th year and has resulted in over 15,000 individual cartridges being recycled, keeping plastics that can take up to 1,000 years to decompose from winding up in landfills.

Elefante is striving to raise awareness about what the committee is doing and encouraging residents, businesses and organizations to get involved. Though the recycling effort does bring in a small, nominal amount of funding, it is more about benefiting the earth than generating cash for the committee’s coffers.

According to information provided by Elefante, manufactured laser cartridges, which are made of plastic produced from oil, consume “more than three quarts of oil” while inkjet cartridges consume “about three ounces.” Additionally, these items can have an adverse effect on the environment by polluting soil and water with volatile organic compounds.

Taking part in the recycling program is simple, Elefante said, only requiring the participant to forego tossing those cartridges in the trash. Instead, they can contact Elefante directly to arrange for her to drop by and pick up the used cartridges, or people can drop the cartridges off at several locations throughout town. Drop-off points include the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce, American First National Bank, At Your Fingertips Salon and the Pahrump Community Library.

For more information or to sign up as a sponsor for the 2019 Pahrump Inter-Tribal Social Powwow contact Elefante at 775-209-3444 or email pahrumppowwow@yahoo.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com