Chamber of Commerce, Chaps of Glory.

Some people collect memories. Others collect auction paddles. I, your local editor, appear to be collecting fundraising events, and this year’s Sprague Chamber of Commerce auction did not disappoint.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room, or rather, the margarita machine that I did not accidentally win this year. For those still emotionally recovering from the Odessa Hospital semi-formal soirée of last year, rest assured: no one pulled their own name this time. Growth. Maturity. Healing.

What did happen, however, was arguably better.

I walked out of the event proudly sporting a brand-new pair of black leather chaps and armed with a series of cheeky back-and-forth jokes with Garrett Linstrum, who single-handedly redefined “accessory confidence” by showcasing his wife’s purse in the most fashionable way imaginable. The way he walked around the gym, mullet flowing effortlessly in the air, you would have thought he was debuting the purse at Fashion Week. Confident. Committed. Iconic.

As always, the Sprague Chamber of Commerce event proved why it remains one of the biggest nights of the year in town. The crowd was so large, in fact, that the dinner line ran out of strawberries and sausage, a true marker of success, if not mild panic. If you left hungry, take comfort in knowing you were part of something very popular.

This year’s venue, the school gym, turned out to be a wonderful choice. It felt brighter, livelier, and honestly more fun. Something about the open space gave the entire evening fresh energy, like prom, but with bidding wars and significantly better shoes.

One of the biggest crowd-pleasers this year was the Chamber’s newest addition: the ability to pay by card at the auction. A sincere thank-you to Tim Wilken for bringing the event into the modern era. Nothing fuels enthusiastic bidding quite like not having to find exact change.

Adding to the charm of the evening were Sprague students proudly showing off old yearbooks under the guidance of bride-to-be Ms. Toni Cloud and her fiancé, Cameron Zamora. The students were cheeky, positive, and absolutely radiated excitement for yearbook. Watching them interact with guests was genuinely heartwarming, and I’m crossing my fingers that somewhere in that group is a future journalist who enjoys deadlines and caffeine just as much as the rest of us.

The most emotional moment of the night belonged to Jan Pantoja, who was named Citizen of the Year. Assisted to the front, her gratitude, and bittersweet tears, were felt across the cafeteria. Sniffles echoed, eyes watered, and I’ll admit it: even I got a little choked up as Jan shared her thank-yous. It was one of those moments that reminds you exactly why these events matter.

Before the night wrapped up, the gentleman who accompanied me very generously paid for my new leather chaps after bidding on them “just to see my reaction.” Truly, they were the best item anyone could have bid on in the entire auction. And yes, I absolutely paraded them around while still taking photos for the newspaper. Journalism, after all, is about balance.

Honestly, those chaps were perfection. Talk about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, they were made for my height and build like they had been waiting for me all along.

All in all, it was a strong showing for this year’s Sprague Chamber event, full of laughter, community, happy tears, and at least one unforgettable fashion moment. If this is what civic engagement looks like, count me in. Just maybe keep me away from any future margarita machines.