Several dozen people gathered in the Onalaska High School gymnasium on Saturday for Field to Future: A Farm-to-Table Dinner connecting farmers with consumers of their products.
“It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and passion to produce the food that we often take for granted, and tonight is all about recognizing and appreciating those farmers and producers,” said Riley Martin, a host of the event with her mother, Tezrah Martin. “So as you enjoy your meal, I encourage you to talk or think about where your food comes from and the people behind it. We are so lucky and have such an incredible agricultural community right here in Lewis County.”
The dinner supporting local farmers featured a menu of grass-fed beef burgers, mashed potatoes, corn, macaroni and cheese, and salad with cookies and cupcakes for dessert. Businesses donated items to give away in a raffle and sell to the highest bidder in a silent auction, with all the proceeds helping Riley’s community service initiative: “Field to Future: Expanding Agricultural Literacy One Classroom at a Time.”
“I’m proud to share that the farm-to-table dinner raised a total of $2,373.77,” Riley said. “The funds will specifically help me expand into local classrooms, provide educational opportunities and hands-on experiences like farm tours, and support future events that continue to highlight the importance of agriculture in our community. Additionally, this support helps me continue pursuing my goal of competing for Miss Washington, where I hope to further advocate for youth involvement in agriculture on a larger stage.”
Riley, an Onalaska senior, was runner-up last month for Miss Lewis County Scholarship Pageant, earning a $1,000 scholarship. She also received $300 for winning Miss Congeniality and $100 for a Service to the Community Award. She is vying in the Open Sweeper Competition for one of eight open spots to compete in the 2026 Miss Washington Scholarship Pageant.
Assisting at the dinner were Miss Lewis County 2026 Hannah Murphy and Miss Lewis County’s Teen 2026 Haiden Bartel as well as Lewis County Dairy Princess Zeanna Zavodsky.
Riley, who has held offices in the local FFA chapter, served as Lewis County Dairy Ambassador in 2024 and Apple Harvest Queen in the 2022-23 season. She has participated in National Honor Society and cheer and served as student body treasurer. She may pursue a career in real estate or nursing.
“This event would not have been possible without the incredible support of our local farms, businesses, sponsors, and community members, and I am so grateful to everyone who helped make it a success,” Riley said.
Saturday’s event was just one among many local activities drawing people together to enjoy fun times and create memories while raising money for good causes.
AAUW BOOK SALE
Once again, the Lewis County chapter of the AAUW held its annual used book sale March 26 to 28 to raise money for scholarships for local young women — and it proved a huge success, thanks to a generous community.
I’m in awe of the humongous amount of work these retired teachers, foresters, librarians and others devote to collecting books all year long, sorting them into boxes by genre and author name, and then lugging them to the Moose Lodge off Kresky Avenue in Centralia — with help from Boy Scout Troop 373 members, thank goodness.
“We had more books than we have ever had, due to the generous donations of the community,” said Donna Loucks, chief organizer.
Renae Seemiller counted 1,662 boxes containing about 25,000 books, all of which needed to be hauled to the Moose Lodge from St. John Lutheran Church on Jackson Highway in Chehalis, where they were sorted. The sale also featured several tables of DVDs for sale.
“Just in the month of March, a team of about 25 AAUW members put in over 700 women-hours sorting and alphabetizing the books and working at the sale,” Loucks said.
Although initial numbers looked like the sale earned a little less than last year, it actually broke the record.
“After we brought everything home from the Moose on Sunday and I was cleaning and organizing, I found a money bag that contained over $1,500 in a box!” Loucks said. “Somebody had tucked it under the table (as instructed) when there was too much cash in the box on the table.”
So, the event generated $26,650 and surpassed last year’s all-time high.
As I sat for a shift on Thursday, I marveled at the bargains people received as they packed boxes and bags with used books. This is such a wonderful community event. I especially loved seeing mothers and fathers buying books for their young children to read.
So many women worked so hard to organize and host this event, entirely as volunteers. I also appreciated the generosity of people buying books who told us to keep the change because they knew it went to a good cause.
In fact, the AAUW chapter recently awarded 11 scholarships of $2,500 each for the coming year using proceeds from this and previous book sales. Scholarships are given to women with strong academic records who graduated from high schools in Lewis County or South Thurston County or lived in Lewis County for at least two years. Recipients must be enrolled in an accredited college, university, technical or trade school. They also must have demonstrated service to their schools or communities and exhibit financial need.
It’s wonderful to see a community giving back and supporting the younger generation. And buyers who finish reading their books and want to donate them again can call or text Betty Garrett at 360-827-5838.
SHALOM VILLAGE
Last month, my sister and I joined friends Edna Fund, Olga Miller, Linda Tennant-May and Adrianna Garibay, a Centralia City Council member, at the Juice Box in Centralia for bingo to raise money for Shalom Village. The village going up near Harrison Square Presbyterian Church a half-mile west of I-5 will provide six small duplexes as transitional housing for more than a dozen residents a year as they seek jobs to escape life on the streets.
The Hope Housing Collaborative of Lewis County fundraiser featured bingo games, a silent auction, and raffles for donations provided by local businesses and community members. The evening ended with a furniture bingo to provide each unit with a $500 bed, a $200 desk, and a $100 rocking chair plus paint.
The packed crowd responded graciously.
“We ended up raising $30,000 on the number,” said Rev. Mark McHugh, pastor of Harrison Square Presbyterian. “We were at $29,890, and someone heard and wrote a check for $110.”
Work continues on construction of the village’s units and community building with a kitchen, meeting room, office, and laundry area. The fenced village near Mountain View Cemetery will have a community garden.
The goal is to move guests who pass criminal background checks into the village in the fall. They’ll need to stay sober and drug-free and abide by a code of conduct.
We are blessed to live in a generous community willing to give to others.
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Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, may be reached at memoirs@chaptersoflife.com.
