PORT ANGELES — More than 130 people are signed up to attend the eighth annual Midnight in Paris Dinner and Live Auction set for Saturday, with plenty of seats still available, said Amber Hosken, an event organizer, this week.
The dinner and auction, taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the ballroom at the Red Lion Hotel, 221 N. Lincoln St., is a fundraiser for First Step Family Support Center of Port Angeles.
The 501(c)(3) organization, founded in 1972, provides support and education services to Clallam County families as part of the agency’s mission to promote the healthy development of children and families, serving thousands of adults and children each year, said Hosken, the group’s marketing and events coordinator.
Tickets are $80 and can be purchased online at www.first stepfamily.org. RSVP can also be made by phone at 360-457-8355.
Tickets include a dinner of sirloin steak, seared salmon, chicken Marsala or vegetarian eggplant Parmesan as well as complimentary beverages and participation in the auction, which includes items such as a free round of golf for four or a year’s worth of Swedish massage, Hosken said.
The fundraiser is vital for First Step Family Support Center, which relies entirely on donations and grants to continue operations, Hosken said.
“This year, we are raising money for our drop-in center in Port Angeles,” she said.
The center, located at 325 E. Sixth St., is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, if funding allows.
“We try to keep [it] open four days a week,” Hosken said.
“Currently, we don’t have funding for all four days, and it is a very vital service to our community.
“We match people with referrals, provide social support and emergency supplies to parents with young children including a clothing closet and diaper bank.”
The mission for the organization “is to develop the healthy development of children and families in Clallam County,” Hosken continued.
“And so, the drop-in center is really a gateway to more services. It is a place where people can comfortably come in and talk to someone about what they are going through, what their needs are and then we are able to match them up with resources we have in-house and resources we have out in the community.”
The purpose of the center “is to ensure families have what they need so they can reduce their stress and move forward to help their children grow up to be very successful in school and life,” Hosken said.
The center is aimed at underprivileged families “going without anything that they need to thrive. They can come to us, and we will help them fulfill that need,” Hosken said.
This is the first year the fundraiser will be at the Red Lion Hotel, she said.
“We look forward to growing into our expanded space,” she said.
“It has always been traditionally at C’est Si Bon, but it is limited to 100 people out there, and I would like to see it grow to 200 people.”
For more, visit www.firststep family.org.
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Features Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
