WINNEMUCCA - Northern Nevada's cultural diversity was celebrated Saturday night with food and entertainment at a fundraiser for the Frontier Community Coalition.
Many a plate at the Winnemucca convention center was loaded with Italian, Basque, Mexican and Native American fare, with another table overflowing with desserts.
The theme of the evening's cultural diversity event was "many faces, one vision." The entertainment included the Winnemucca Civic Chorus, Fort McDermitt Native American dancers, local Basque performer Pete Salla, Winnemucca Basque dancers, Desert Ravens World dancers, Spirit of Mexico dancers and cowboy poet D.W. Hutson.
The event was one of two major fundraisers held annually for the Frontier Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization providing community-based programs for youth and families in Lander, Humboldt and Pershing counties.
Coalition director Jeff Munk estimated the dinner attracted a crowd of 250 to 300 people. Some made the trip from Lovelock and Battle Mountain to support the organization.
"I thought it was a fabulous evening," he said. "The food was really good from what I heard."
He said the amount of money raised during the evening's live and silent auctions, along with ticket sales, won't be known until later this week, after proceeds are tabulated.
The coalition operates on a budget of about $300,000 annually. Most of the organization's funding comes from grants, but fundraisers bring in a substantial amount of money, about $40,000 annually. Last year's diversity dinner, a sold-out event, raised about $15,000. The other big fundraiser is the annual Louie Peraldo Memorial golf tournament.
Although the coalition offers a variety of programs specific to each of the three counties, it's best known, generally speaking, for working to prevent alcohol and substance abuse among teens.
In the three counties, the coalition pursues a community building process that includes community needs assessment, planning, community action, prevention programming and various incentives.
Munk said the coalition's Project Magic, which is run in each of the three counties, originated in Nevada and went national. It teaches life skills for first-time juvenile offenders ages 12 to 18.
In addition to Project Magic, the coalition funds the Parenting Project, diabetes self-management education, responsible beverage server training, Zion's Afterschool Youth Center, Safe and Sober Graduation, underage drinking prevention programs and law enforcement training, among others.
Coalition board member Steve Larsgaard, a former Lander County School District administrator in Battle Mountain, said the board meets with key people in each community, such as students, law enforcement, juvenile probation, church groups and others to discuss the issues and needs of the community.
The coalition has funded the youth center, Jacob's Well, as one of its many projects in Battle Mountain. It has also brought in a speaker to talk to young people and parents about abstinence.
The overarching goal is to promote health among families, Larsgaard said, in the belief that if families are healthy, that will steer kids away from engaging in risky behaviors.
"We're involved in a lot of different capacities trying to support kids and moms and dads," he said. "We're focused on healthy families."
Larsgaard said communities in the three counties served by the coalition have been generous when it comes to raising funds for programs.
"The local support has been greatly appreciated," Larsgaard said.
Kevin Pasquale, senior deputy district attorney with Humboldt County, said the coalition's youth programs are "near and dear" to his heart. They provide teens in Winnemucca, Battle Mountain and Lovelock with many constructive alternatives to unhealthy choices like drugs or alcohol.
"The work they do with youth is critical and that's why I support them," Pasquale said.
Pershing County Commissioner Carol Shank and her husband drove over from Lovelock to attend their first cultural diversity dinner. She also said the coalition's programs are important to youth in that county.
Throughout the evening local radio personality Rodd Stowell cajoled audience members into bidding up items during a live auction. Sixth Judicial District Court Judge Michael Montero hosted the event.
Prior to the entertainment, Winnemucca Mayor Di An Putnam offered a few words about the coalition's local impact. She said the coalition's focus on the health and future of young adults is important to Winnemucca and other communities.
"You do make a difference and it does make a difference in our community," she said.
JoAnn Casalez, director of the innovative Scrap Domestic Violence organization, said the coalition's focus on preventing drug and alcohol abuse among teens was valuable, especially the programs that work with girls.
But on this evening, she was all about sampling the variety of ethnic dishes and enjoying the entertainment, particularly the Native American dancers from McDermitt.
"It's really beautiful," she said. "I really do enjoy watching them."[[In-content Ad]]
