Summer Soiree to benefit Boys and Girls Clubs, builds on Mike Tice’s 'For the Kids' event

GARDNERVILLE, Nev. — The Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada hosts the second annual Summer Soiree fundraiser, formerly the Fall Affair, to help build a clubhouse for Carson Valley members Sunday, Aug. 26, at 4 p.m. in Genoa.

“We’ve run out of space in our current site,” Katie Leao, executive director for the Club, said. “We serve about 300 kids, but we hope to double that. To do so, we need to raise funds for added staffing and programs, as well as the site.”

Currently, the members have been bouncing between Carson Middle School and Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School, she said. The Club must have three years of operating costs saved up before a permanent clubhouse can be opened.

Leao said most of the money raised will go towards operating costs for the new site, which runs between $600,000 to $700,000 per year.

To help show the need to build a clubhouse, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, in conjunction with the Carson Valley Council, created the Summer Soiree last year to bring the community together and collect more funds for the Club.

“We needed a way to raise community awareness for our Club and find more donors to get involved and support our youth,” Leao said. “It’s a blessing to have generous people in our area who want to help and support the next generation of youths and what they can achieve.”

The idea for the event came about to expand upon the annual Mike Tice “For the Kids” Golf Tournament, which also raises funds specifically for a new clubhouse.

The tournament is held every year by Tice, the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders' offensive line coach, who invites celebrities from all over the country to participate. In the last eight years, they’ve raised more than $400,000 for the new clubhouse.

This year, Tice opened the tournament to the public to involve the community in helping to fund the new building, and local businesses stepped up to participate.

“It’s very important to me to have more local involvement and I am pleased to announce that this year we raised more than $209,000 with donations still coming in,” Tice said. “I want to extend a thank you to our great sponsors, especially Carson Valley Inn and our $25,000 title sponsor Dan and Lois Wray of the Pink House, without whom this wouldn’t have been possible, as well as the countless volunteers and everyone who helped make the weekend a success.”

The Summer Soiree is being hosted by the Wrays and features Chef Josh Deri of Blend Catering in Reno as well as food and dessert donations from area businesses, like Bently Ranch who is supplying all of the beef for the event. Tickets are $150 each or $1,350 for a table of 10. A silent dessert auction featuring sweets from local bakeries and 50/50 raffle round out the evening’s activities.

To purchase tickets or make a donation please visit bit.ly/summersoiree18.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada:
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, having been a cornerstone of the community since opening its doors in 1993. Serving over 400 youth per day, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada provides a safe, structured and positive environment for young people after school, during holidays and summer vacation in six locations around Carson City and Douglas County. For more information, please visit www.bgcwn.org.