Our Progress

2013 -The first BENEFIT FOR THE BASIN event was held in 2013 at Klamath Basin Equipment. A 1968 Mustang was raffled off, $8600 dollars were raised and given to the Klamath County Fairgrounds.

In 2014, the Benefit for the Basin event moved to the Klamath County Fairgrounds. Over 100 cars entered the show. Not only did the show grow in size but a live band was added, there were bounce houses and face painting. Local merchants donated raffle prizes that were given out throughout the day. Businesses set up booths for people to peruse. A1966 Plymouth GTX clone that was raffled off. The event raised in excess of $40,000 in our second year.
In 2015 the event grew to over 150 registered cars, and with help from local businesses we built two cars to raffle off at the event, a 1971 Dodge Dart and a 1971 Ford Pickup. Two Oregon Institute of Technology students drove away in the prizes that year. The 2015 Event raised over $66,000 to use to help youth, education, community, and the Klamath County Fairgrounds.
2016 saw over 250 registered cars, more local vendors, and a bigger food court. The raffle cars, a 1966 Ford Mustang and a 1966 Chevy Impala were both big hits and Raffle ticket sales reflected it, helping to raise $105,000, a new record high!
For the 2017 Event, the Benefit again was able to build two cars, a 1968 Chevy C10 Pickup and a 1973 MGB. The generous Sponsors and individuals helped the Benefit raise just over $94,000.
2018 – The BENEFIT added a Friday night Charity Dinner and Auction which was a huge success. Proceeds from the auction plus raffle tickets sales and proceeds from the Saturday’s car show saw a new high for the Benefit at over $119,000.
2019 - Drag racing, special guests, and a gorgeous 1968 Pontiac Firebird really got the public excited. Raffle ticket sales were great, the roar of engines in the first ever 100 foot Drag races was loud, and the excitement of having the crew of TV’s Bitchin Rides at the 2-day event was crazy. Dave Kindig, Kev-Dog, Ryan and the rest of the crew were social, exciting and fun to meet. They, along with so many others were so generous at both the auction Friday night and during the event on Saturday…it proved contagious and saw the total for the 2019 season hit a new record high of $192,000 dollars. The Benefit Board and Committee Members had a specific goal, which we achieved. Beginning in 2020 the
2020 – Due to the Coronavirus ALL 2020 BENEFIT FUND RAISING EVENTS have been cancelled.
2021 – Promises to be a banner year for BENEFIT FOR THE BASIN. Scholarship awards were raised to $750 per student. 25 students from the Klamath Basin received the awards.
2022 - Proved to be an outstanding year reaching our annual goal and surpassing One- Million Dollars raised over the past 9 years. Again, 25 students were presented with Scholarship awards.
2023 - Over $203,000 was raised at our 10th annual Benefit for the Basin, Car Show and Drag Races. We had special guests Dave Kindig, Kev-Dog and their crew from "Bitchin Rides". Watch the episode on S10 E06. What an incredible contribution to our community! 32 Scholarships awards were given out with special Award of Excellence presented by Les Schwab Tire, Klamath Falls Honda - Subaru, and Lithia Toyota.
2024 - Scholarships were presented to 22 Senior recipients in the Klamath Basin. Les Schwab Tire and Klamath Falls Honda - Subaru each presented Awards of Excellence. Our event continues to grow each year with the fantastic support of our community - $224,632
2025 - A year to remember! Together we made a lasting impact on our youth, community, and future. 37 Scholarships were awarded. $242,000 was raised at our annual event. We supported 33 local organizations and youth programs. The "Fly the Flag" campaign was launched and completed at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.