Children's Center benefit has fun for a good cause

Saturday night, the Children's Center hosted its first fundraiser, expected to become an annual event.

For those who don't know what the Children's Center is, the organization describes itself as "a safe place for the assessment and treatment of child sexual abuse."

"The Children's Center coordinates efforts to provide the knowledge, skills and resources to assist suspected child abuse victims and their families."

The center serves children in Vernon, Cedar, Barton and Dade counties.

Currently, these services are provided in a rental space just off the Nevada Square.

In these cramped quarters, help for the suspected abuse victims isn't as effective or as private.

Announcing plans to seek a facility in which the variety of interventions and help needed can be better utilized, the Children's Center went looking for a new location.

That effort is being accomplished in stages.

A kickoff took pace in March 2012, with donations, and then, Curtis & Sons Realty donated land for a new center in August 2013.

Now, the volunteer Board of Directors must raise the funds to pay for the building.

With a goal of $250,000, the center was within about $75,000 of that goal prior to this past weekend's fundraising activity.

This involved a variety of different entertainment designed to help meet the goal.

J.J. Curtis, of Curtis & Sons, graciously offered to provide his services to auction off a bevy of donated items, from framed pictures, including flags that have flown over the Vernon County Courthouse, sports memorabilia from the Kansas City professional teams, quilts, a tool box, and a number of other donations.

The night featured a running trivia contest in which each table had the chance to answer three questions, relating to a variety of topics.

Tim Richmond volunteered to announce the trivia, with Jill Hartgrave helping out. Volunteer helpers for the event also included Michelle Psomas, Amy Kaelke and Pete Schmidt, among others.

The most excitement though was reserved for the featured athletes, the mice, sponsored by Wilkinson's.

One of the six contestants was chosen to be placed on a spinning roulette wheel, with those in the audience getting the chance to guess which number the mouse would find his way to, on the outside.

As popular as that was, though, the races were even more enthusiastic.

With a crowd described as one of the largest ever at the Elks Lodge, people were into the races as each of the six racers was taken out of the plastic cage and given a slot on the glassed-in wooden race track, designed much like a window box so the crowd could see their racer and cheer their mouse on.

And cheer they did. With each of the featured races (the names were changed of the competing mice for each race) completed, it seemed the noise level went up a notch for the next.

Cheese Seeker, Mighty Mouse, Double Trouble etc. competed in12 different races leading up to the championship heat race off, followed by the finals.

Sponsors and betters were encouraged to track the results.

What a novel idea.

I've seen trivia contests before, although in a more formal setting of teams. Trivia fundraisers are very popular.

But this was my first time at the mice races. And if anything, they seem to be even more popular.

Throw in plenty of food and beverages, and it was literally a good time was had by all as money was raised for a great cause.

Members of The Children's Center Advisory Board representing the four counties were pleased with the results and the turnout.

Everyone who contributed, volunteered or attended helped make a difference for our community and our region.