Dinner, live music, and auction is set for Friday

A fundraiser auction, dinner, and music event happening Friday will have two missions to accomplish.

Musical genres will range from classical to blues to country at the Dinner Concert Fundraiser for the Legacy of Buffalo Soldiers and to Honor First Responders.

“We’ve done a lot of amazing things as Buffalo Soldiers,” said Donald Singleton, the president of the Moses Williams Buffalo Soldiers Pacific Northwest Chapter. “In the centuries ago, we were the ones to ensure the safety of the people. We dedicated and put our lives on the line to allow settlers to move from the east to the western plains.”

The event, set for 5 p.m. Friday at Living Hope Church is presented by The Veterans and First Responders Board of SW WA. 

Singleton noted how Buffalo Soldiers were also integral in the building of national parks. He said their accomplishments are rarely talked about these days, so education is crucial.

He also appreciates being honored along with today’s first responders.

“Now it’s a chance to do something amazing together,” Singleton said. “First responders are putting their lives on the line every day, just like Buffalo Soldiers did in time’s past.”

Tickets are $20 per person or $50 for a family if purchased online early, or $30 per person and $70 per family at the door.

The entertainment will start at 5 p.m. with Ernesto Quilban, a renowned classical guitarist, and Jojo Pagulayan on the drums.

At 6 p.m., Myrtle Brown and her band Executive Groove will perform the Blues. Special guest Pete Moss will be on the saxophone.

At 7 p.m, it’s the sounds of Nashville with Ricky Lee Jackson and vocalist Shawna Quade.

The event celebrates the region’s first responders. It also is a fundraiser to go toward educational material to continue teaching the history of the Buffalo Soldiers, African American soldiers who started serving in the West following the American Civil War and continued serving into the early 1950s.

Retired Judge Darvin J. Zimmerman, founder of The Veterans and First Responders Board of SW WA, said the goal is to purchase a traveling exhibit, which would go to local schools to teach students about the history of the soldiers and their contributions.

First responders in Clark County were invited to attend the event for free.

The event has more than a dozen sponsors. There will be raffle prizes and an auction, with hand-crafted redwood tables, fine art, Trail Blazers tickets, and more.

Zimmerman will be the co-master of ceremonies of the event, along with Kenadie, the daughter of a Vancouver police officer.

For more information, including ticketing options, go to: https://vfrbswwa.org/

Living Hope Church is located at 2711 NE Andresen Road.