June Crab Feed Sells Out, Produces $9K in Surprise Donations

by Russ Alman, Director of Communications

Nearly 200 people attended our crab feed on June 15. All proceeds from the event will be used to fund senior center operations.

The Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center hosted a crab feed on June 15 and sold out with nearly 200 guests in attendance

This was the second crab of 2024. Traditionally, we only hold one crab feed per year, but in February, we held a special "Booty the Build" crab feed and fundraiser as a kickoff event for our capital expansion project campaign.

The June crab feed was also a fundraiser, but proceeds will be used to fund general operations at the senior center. "Our February crab feed was organized to raise as much money as possible for the building campaign, so we priced the tickets higher and also ran a silent auction. That event netted over $30,000 towards the building fund," said Dave Tosch, executive director. "But we promised our members that we'd do another crab feed that was more affordable later in the year. We also rely on fundraisers like this to help cover general operating costs," said Tosch.

The all-you-can-eat feast also included lasagna, Caesar salad, garlic bread and a lemon creme and cookie dessert.

As seems to be the case with most senior center fundraisers, many people waited until the last minute to buy tickets. "We promote the events well in advance," said Tosch, "but we always seem to come down to the wire and then we ultimately sell out. This crab feed was no exception. We ended up having to set up extra tables for last-minute guest and even had to put a sign out front that the event was full."

In addition to the profits made from ticket sales, the senior center received some surprise donations at the event. The Sunrise Rotary of Wenatchee approached the senior center earlier this spring about selling tickets for their Apple Blossom Road Apple Roulette. The Rotary offered to make a donation to the senior center based on the number of tickets they sold. "We expected to receive a donation of a few hundred dollars," said Tosch. Little did he know, the Rotary had something else in mind.

Wayne Massing, Sunrise Rotary Fundraising Chair, attended the crab feed and asked if he could present the check during the event. He surprised everyone when unveiled a check for $4,000. "I was not expecting this!" Dave explained with a look of shock on his face.

Dave Tosch received a check for $4,000 from Wayne Massing, fundraising chair for the Sunrise Rotary of Wenatchee.

Seeing this unexpected donation and not to be outdone, two other attendees, Jim Heinlein, owner of Springwater Insurance, and David Solomon, owner of Solomon Financial Group, asked to make an announcement. The pair offered $2,500 each as donations for the senior center.

As a result of these unexpected contributions, the senior center netted nearly $20,000 towards its operating fund from the event.

The Senior Center would like to thank everyone who attended our crab feed. Fundraisers like these are critical for generating sufficient funds to cover its $1 million annual budget. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, operating costs for everything from food to insurance to postage have increased significantly.

Additional fundraising events are planned for later this summer and early fall, including two new events: a Swashbuckler's Ball and a Celebrity Waiter Banquet. Proceeds from these two events will be earmarked for the Senior Center's capital expansion project, a $4 million plan to expand the Senior Center by more than 25 percent and modernize the existing building. Watch for updates on these events in the Senior Center's news/blog section and on their social media accounts.