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Annual Benefit Dinner
Dance
The club has hosted a benefit dance
since 1948. In its current format, the event is held at the Four
Rivers Cultural Center and features a traditional Basque dinner,
dance performance, lamb auction, and public dancing to live
music. To view photos from past years visit the photo
gallery. For an overview of the 2004 dinner and dance view this video.
The 58th Annual dinner and dance was covered in Euskalkultura.com.
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 In addition to
music by local band, Place your Marker, our 2004, 2005
and 2006 dances featured traditional Basque music by
the Txantxan Gorriak of Boise led by Dan Ansotegui from Boise. See
Video of 2004 musicians.
Dan
plays trikitixa (the diatonic accordion) with the Basque folk group Gaupasa
and instructs Boise's Txantxan Gorriak triki group. Chris
plays guitar with Gaupasa.
Nick Ansotegui and Madalen
Bieter play panderoa,
(tamborine) with the Txantxan Gorriak. Madalen and Nick took
first and second place, respectively at the 2003 Great Basin Folk
Festival Trikitixa Contest held in Elko. The competition was
judged by Basque Country triki masters Tapia
and Leturia who had taught Dan's to play. You can read more
about Boise's Txantxan Gorriak in this article from The
Idaho Commission on the Arts Newsletter.
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The dance has become known as a charitable community event, with the
money going back into the community in a variety of forms. Among
these is the Marge Plaza Memorial Scholarship, providing
the newspaper to the hospital and paying for meat for senior
dinners. In addition, a large donation is given to a selected
charity each year. In the past the Ontario Fire department and
Holy Rosary Hospital have received this donation for the purchase of
expensive equipment such as CAT scan equipment. The Senior Citizen
Center, Project Dove, and Help Them to Hope are among many other
charities that have received donations from the Ontario Basque
Club. Whatever is left over, after club insurance and
operating costs, is used for events such as Festival of Trees,
America’s Global Village and Festival, and fireworks on the Fourth
of July.
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Vintage Photo of
Basque Apron and Overall Benefit Dance 1953
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