Dena'ina Heyi celebrates host culture

Following the Frozen River Festival many baseball fans went over to the Soldotna Regional Sports Center for a prime rib dinner at the Lucky 7 Gusher Gala, an event to raise funds to secure an Oiler baseball season this summer. Highlights of the event included a live auction, silent auction, split the pot, Sportsman’s Warehouse wall of goods auction, booze wagon drawing and a lucky glass drawing. Entertainment was provided by Bull Don and the Moose Nuggets. According to Oiler booster and board member Sharon Hale the Gusher grand prize winner of $7,000 was Marge Burzinski. Winners of $500 cash were John Oberts, Judilee Forrest, Pam Oberts, Sylvia Stuart, Dollie Morey and Dan Green. A total of $10,000 was given away at this year’s Gusher. “And some of the winners donated back their winnings. How great was that?” said Hale. “After paying out prizes and expenses the Oilers raised just over $20,000. That will go a long ways towards helping us have a season this year,” she said. “Additionally, the Oilers Community Cares drawing raised $1,151 for Angelica Haakensen. We also appreciated the generous donation of delicious beverages from Kassik’s Brewery and Odom/CocaCola. A special thanks should go to Kenai Catering, Main Street Tap & Grill, and the City of Soldotna/Sports Center for handling two simultaneous events so well. My heart is in baseball and especially the Peninsula Oilers the community support for our team made me proud,” said Hale. For more information on Oiler baseball and signing up to host players this summer go to oilersbaseball.com.