Rainier Education Foundation to host 26th annual dinner and silent auction on March 28

In an effort to support Rainier High Schools (RHS) students in their adventures after graduating from the school, the Rainier Education Foundation (REF) will host its 26th annual dinner and in-person silent auction from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26, inside of the RHS gymnasium.

Tickets for the event can be purchased for $25 online at rainiereducationfoundation.com or at the door of the event. According to REF, Casa Mia will be providing dinner to attendees.

Numerous auction items will be up for grabs during the event as well, including: an annual Weyerhaeuser Vail drive-in permit, an Alaskan fishing trip for two with Togiak River Lodge on July 15-19, 2026, an Aquatic bathtub, Whitewater Orthodontics gift certificates and much more.

Additionally, REF is thankful to local community sponsors from Yelm Vision, Lightcurve, Signature Service Real Estate, Jason’s Greenhouse, LB Steele, Edwards Jones and Cascades Camp.

“We value the continued partnerships with the local Rainier and surrounding cities businesses who welcome our Rainier students into their lives every year to help create this amazing event,” REF wrote, in a media release. “We were overwhelmed with the support from our community last year that helped us surpass our $1 million milestone in 25-years of this community event. Last year, we were able to provide 20 student scholarships and fulfill $6000 in Rainier School District grants. This is only possible with our long time sponsors and partnerships and an amazing community.”

Delora Hamilton, REF co-President, told the Nisqually Valley News on Monday, March 16, that the organization was thrilled to reach the $1 million milestone last year. She said each year, the money raised benefits seniors who graduate from RHS in the form of renewable scholarships.

“The cool thing about our scholarships is they can be used for colleges. They can be used for trade schools. They can be used for career certifications,” she said. “I think that’s a really neat bonus. Every year, for the next three consecutive years, those scholarships are renewable for a predetermined lesser amount. I think that’s great for them.”

Additionally, Hamilton said the community support for the annual REF dinner and silent auction is “absolutely amazing.”

“We have, not only businesses, that have been around for years and participate over and over again, but we have new businesses that come on and do it all the time,” Hamilton said. “Our student scholarships are based on volunteer hours, not necessarily grades. The students are the ones going out and making contact with those businesses.”

She noted the skills that these students are learning by going out and communicating with different local businesses are amazing because it teaches them how to follow deadlines, how to communicate, how to accept “no” for an answer and how to be excited for a “yes.”

“It’s really a neat process to watch the kids grow and watch the community businesses help those kids grow,” she said. “I think that’s a really important aspect of how this system works overall. A great example is LB Steele. They’ve donated lots of times for us, but the owner has communicated that they love hiring Rainier students — especially if they have REF on their resume.”

According to Hamilton, RHS students will have until April 15 to submit their applications to benefit from the REF auction. She noted that applications are open for all graduating students – no matter if they’re at RHS or attending running start.

She added that REF is aiming to raise over $35,000 at the auction in 2026, and noted that the event’s sponsors have helped the organization get one-third of the way there.

“Now, what we need is for people to come out and bid on some amazing items. We have over 50-items that are already posted in our catalog. That can be viewed on our website and we’re uploading items every day. A lot of these items are things you can use around the house or some fun activities.”