Virtual BooGrass Auction begins October 23

WAITSBURG-Waitsburg's Rural Youth Enrichment Services (RYES) will host the Virtual BooGrass Auction starting October 23. Log on and bid on items including a Will Writing package donated by Karl Law Office or a Dinner for Four prepared by Chef Daniel Rossi and support the many youth projects offered by RYES.

RYES is a non-profit organization established in 2010 to provide the youth of the Touchet Valley with opportunities to experience the arts, develop skills, hone leadership, and participate in enriching activities.

Programs you can support through this auction include Touchet Valley Acoustic Music Program (TVAMP), Waitsburg's Youth and Government, and the Urban Forestry Project. In a typical year, TVAMP musicians would have put on a spooky show and silent auction at the Plaza Theatre in Waitsburg. Since concerts are not allowed in Walla Walla County's current Safe Start phase, the organization has turned this event into a virtual auction with some online surprises.

The Youth and Government program gives students a chance to model legislators at all levels of government, advocate for change, expand their worldwide view, and shape public policy. Each year, qualifying students travel to Olympia and participate in mock-government scenarios.

The Urban Forestry Project connects kids and the outdoors, teaches the importance of healthy trees, and celebrates Arbor Day by planting tree seedlings. Future projects include a tree-planting guide, a heritage treemap for a Waitsburg walking guide, and a photo library of Waitsburg's oldest trees. To learn more about the RYES projects, visit their website at http://www.ruralyes.org.

Auction items will be available to view at Ten Ton Coffee, 216 Main Street, in Waitsburg. The virtual auction will begin October 23 and will end on October 30. Visit http://charityauction.bid/RYESBoograss. The auction link will not go live until October 23.