euskalkultura.eus

Ontario, Oregon.  The 67^th Annual Basque Benefit Dinner/Dance took place on February 22^nd at the Four Rivers Cultural Center with nearly 450 people attending. Dinner consisted of traditional Basque staples such as fried cod, rice and roast beef with vegetables.

[Volunteers of the Basque Center cooked dinner with lots of care and an ever-present smile (photo OntarioEE)]

After dinner, and in between the concert by Barry's Band the Beti Alai Dancers performed several Basque dances, under the watchful gaze of new instructors  Bradi Fritts and Sage Stringer. Elena Tipton (18) and Matea Berria (17) shined in "Agurra"; Enrike and Lisa Corcostegui perfomed "Jota"; the group performed dances from Bizkaia, Lapurdi, Gipuzkoa and Nafarroa. Dancer Luke Barinaga could not attend, because he was participating in the Monroe Cup of Ski in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he won two medals. Zorionak!

[Dancers of Beti Alai, ready to take the center stage (photo OntarioEE)]

[The show ended with an invitation to the public to join in the Txulalai dance. These boys and girls rocked it! (photo OntarioEE)]

The club held it annual Lamb Auction and donated the funds raised to local charities siuch as  the Boys and Girls Club of Ontario. The lamb was donated by Rosie Gabiola and it was sold 42 times! Other prizes included in the raffles were a dinner for ten at Euskal Etxea (to be served by club members), a dinner at Epi’s Basque Restaurant and a 100 dollars' money-tree.

Other entertainment included a historic photo exhibit of the club's Dinner & Dance feasts and Sustraiak, a Basque genealogy project with a current database of over 13.000 persons.

[A stroll down memory lane with the photo exhibit of previous editions of the feast (photo OntarioEE)]

The party was a big success, speacially with the photobooth, wchic attracteda lot of attention. It was a simple idea --a backdrop, disguises, a fake 300 kg rock... and a camera-- that got everybody hooked up: youngsters and adults alike posed for the photographer, who took almos 300 pictures. The club has publisehd them in its' Fascebook page.

[The kids had great fun posing for the camera (photo OntarioEE)]