TaTa for now
Bras, wreaths, gift baskets, and more were donated to be bid on at the 11th Annual Tata's party this past Saturday at the Wallace Elks.
Courtesy photo
WALLACE — When King David wrote in Psalms, “My cup runneth over with love,” I don’t believe he was talking about the cups at the 11th Annual TaTa’s party. But in this case, the cups were runneth over with love — and money.
The annual TaTas Party is the primary fundraiser for the Shoshone Cancer Resource Center and was held this past Saturday at the Wallace Elks.
Last year, the event broke its donation record with $15,000, and they have done it again this year.
“I still have to do some final numbers in my spreadsheet. But right now, unofficial totals show we raised $19,000,” said event organizer Aubrey Stovern.
The amount of money donated from this event has grown substantially over the past couple of years as more community members become involved, as 2020 saw donations of $9,100.
“It’s nice to have a platform for people to give,” Stovern said. “Maybe you would write a check to the cancer center if you think about it. But having this platform and this party makes it easy to be from the community, to the community.”
Stovern explained that the event is as bare bones as possible, and support from the community brings it all together. “The community donates everything and then buys it right back. And then that money goes to community members with a cancer diagnosis.”
Stovern also adds that the event’s success comes from the professional auctioneer who has volunteered his time the past couple of years, “our auctioneer Scottie is such a professional. He’s charismatic, charming, witty and makes you want to keep bidding. You aren’t mad you overspent, he just makes you want to bid, and makes you glad you did it for a good cause.”
Many local businesses and community organizations made donations of decorated bras, wreaths and gift baskets, including Shoshone Fire District No. 1, Kellogg Pet Medical Center, TR Excavation, and many more.
“We had a lot of people come in that have been here every year,” Stovern told the News-Press, “but we also had many first-timers. It was so fun to see new faces.”
The Shoshone Cancer Resource Center is a volunteer-powered group that provides the general public with cancer-related information and resources like gas cards, hats and wigs. For more information, call 208-784-7017, ext. 532.