SPOKANE — A local outdoor shop scrapped its annual adventure festival this weekend after wildfires tore through Camp Sekani, replacing the event with a community fundraiser to benefit the American Red Cross.
Solnix, an outdoor retailer on Division Street, had planned to host Spokatopia — an outdoor adventure festival featuring mountain biking demonstrations and other activities. When the Upriver Drive Fire destroyed parts of Camp Sekani earlier this week, organizers had just days to rethink the event entirely.
“We realized we weren’t going to be able to have a mountain bike demo — what can we do instead?” said Kacey Deakins, co-owner of Solnix.
The answer: the Upriver Drive Fire Relief Fundraiser, held Saturday outside the Solnix storefront. The event features food vendors, burgers, prizes and a raffle, with all proceeds directed to the Spokane chapter of the American Red Cross.
“We are going to be doing a fundraiser here — there is going to be burgers, there is going to be dogs, some other food vendors, there is going to be prizes — it’s going to be a really good time to make some money, and all of it will be going to the Spokane Red Cross,” said Ben Deakins, co-owner of Solnix.
Organizers say the swift response reflects the strength of Spokane’s mountain biking community, which relies heavily on trails at Beacon Hill and Camp Sekani.
“The mountain biking community is really tight-knit, and I think that we know that having a place like Beacon Hill and Camp Sekani so close so that we can have access to it is so important — and it’s really important that we give back to them in their time of need,” Ben Deakins said.
The response extended well beyond the biking community. Spokane businesses quickly stepped up with donations after organizers put out the call.
“I got a text message on my phone from another owner who was saying, ‘Hey, I want to throw in some gift cards’ — we had another business throw in a whole bike that we are raffling — so shout out to Joe’s House — just everyone has been so generous,” Kacey Deakins said.
The fundraiser runs through 8 p.m. Saturday outside Solnix on Division Street in Spokane.
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