One very lucky Pahrump resident is several thousand dollars richer following the Rotary Club of Pahrump Valley’s Annual Cash Extravaganza, with well-known local Sherry Starbuck taking home the incredible grand prize of $10,000.
Held on Sunday, Sept. 19 at the Lakeview Casino amphitheater, the Rotary Club’s Cash Extravaganza was much more than just an opportunity for locals to gather in the hopes of winning the grand prize, however. It is also the largest fundraiser of the year for the Rotary Club, which relies on the funds generated at the annual event to bolster its philanthropic activities in the coming year. The club’s efforts are quite diverse with everything from accessibility ramps for seniors and the disabled to scholarships for local students provided through the generosity and efforts of its members, and after all was said and done on Sunday evening, the club had managed to pull in an astounding $19,500 in total.
“Everything went perfectly,” Pahrump Rotary Club President Eddie Williams told the Pahrump Valley Times following the event. “The weather cooperated, it was fantastic, there was a light breeze coming off the lake at the amphitheater. Rick Scanlan did an excellent job with the music and the barbecue buffet provided by the Pahrump Nugget was delicious. I’d say there were probably between 300 and 350 who showed up, sitting in the amphitheater and the grassy areas around the venue and everyone was having a great time, the atmosphere was just great. Everyone I talked to said they had a such wonderful time and they really enjoyed it.”
Williams said in addition to Starbuck winning the $10,000 grand prize, there were many opportunities for other attendees to take home a prize or two as well. “The next biggest prize was $500, which went to Sheree Wright, and a lot of people won great door prizes, a lot of people bid on and won silent auction items,” Williams detailed.
He said he could not possibly be more proud of the team that worked so diligently to bring the 2021 Cash Extravaganza to fruition and he was positively glowing with praise for them all.
“I want, as the president of Rotary, give a shout-out to all of our members who actually made this event come off so well. I was involved but more on the sidelines,” Williams said. “So shout-out to Dina Erdag, who was the event chair, she did a lot of excellent planning, held several meetings throughout the process and was very involved on site that afternoon.
“There were several other members of the committee who were helping her do a lot of the work, including Barbara Thompson, Ellen Arntz, Dave Uthoff, Darlene Howard, Cecilia Thomas, Elaina Smith and Jeffery Dye, who did a great job as the master of ceremonies,” Williams continued. “And all of our members came out for the extravaganza too, and did an amazing job with setting up, breaking down and selling tickets. They really made it a success and I, as president, was very proud of all of our membership for making it such a great event.”
There were several others in need of some thanks as well, Williams remarked, those who made the donations that provided items for the door prizes, raffle and silent auction. These included Artesian Wine Cellars; Mountain Falls Golf Club; Home Depot; Lakeside Executive Golf Course; Enck’s Auto Repair; AA’s Salon; Gunny’s Air Conditioning and Heating; Allstate Insurance; Hair FX Salon; Aesthetic Enhancement and Sherry Cipollini; Sam’s Tractor Service; and Our Beauty Bar Salon.
Anyone who missed out on this year’s Cash Extravaganza will want to keep their ears open for the announcement that tickets for next year’s event are on sale, which is expected in summer 2022.
For more information on the Rotary Club of Pahrump Valley visit www.pvrotaryclub.org or call 702-672-6559.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com