In the summer of 2007, four medical volunteers traveled from Spokane to Kopanga, Kenya to work at an understaffed and inadequately supplied clinic that treated severely malnourished residents of the area. Upon returning, they were determined to continue their efforts to help the people of this destitute region.
Now, the local nonprofit Partnering for Progress is celebrating a decade of progress in its work to provide improved health care, sanitation, clean water and educational opportunities for the people of Kopanga.
Each year, P4P, as it's also known for short, hosts its Into Africa auction, raising funds to help sustain projects in the upcoming year that complement its mission of helping people become self-sustaining in Kopanga. This year they are hoping to raise around $45,000.
"A huge part of our fundraising goes to education," says Pat Lynass, chair of the auction committee. "We provide scholarships for 27 students to go to high school, which otherwise they wouldn't be able to, because high school isn't free in Kenya."
Attendees of the 10th annual benefit get the unique opportunity to try out a blend of African and American cuisines, along with an assortment of dessert options in the popular Dessert Dash.
KHQ's Kalae Chock and Sean Owsley are the evening's masters of ceremonies. There will be a variety of silent auction items, along with "fantastic" loud auction items.
"I'm proudest of the fact that we're providing education for the kids, and health care, nutrition and nutritional education for the parents, because infant mortality is extremely high," says Lynass. "There's lots of really good things going on that all started here in Spokane."
Into Africa Auction • Sat, Oct. 7 at 5:30 pm • $65/person; $500/table of 8 • Mirabeau Park Hotel • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd., Spokane Valley • partneringforprogress.org
