Looking for the big deal of the day

Dressed in a witch costume complete with a black dress, pointy hat and green hair Kimberly Dethlefsen dashed across the stage at Sutter County School’s Boyd Hall picking up prizes from behind three separate curtains as numbers were called out.

Her attire and actions were part of her involvement and organization of the “Let’s Make a Deal” fundraiser for the Norcal Center on Deafness on Friday night.

“(Dressing up) is part of the month and it’s a chance to be creative,” Dethlefsen said through voice translator Carita Stacy.

Joined by seven members and volunteers from Norcal Center on Deafness, dozens of people dug through their purses and pockets looking for the necessary items to get them on stage and walk away with a prize.

The rules are simple. Hostess Rachel Hase signs a common item such as scissors or a key chain to the audience. The first person to stand up with the item gets to play.

Once the player is chosen they get to choose from three boxes. Then the prize is revealed. If the player does not like the prize, they have 30 seconds to pick another box. If they pick a second box, that person is stuck with the prize, no matter what it is.

After patiently waiting to jump up with “something purple,” Delmar Cheeseman, dressed as Caesar, walked away with a box of chocolates and wine.

“I’m excited to get good prizes,” Cheeseman, president of Norcal’s board of directors said. “It’s a very unique fundraiser.”

Willis Conrad III turned down a live gold fish and took home a box of soda and two bags of chips. And Gaby Shafer-Sorensen was able to get a basket of teddy bears, a gift certificate to the Cookie Tree and light bulbs.

Additional gift certificates, a DVD player and even a dead plant were up for grabs in the game.

The fundraiser was a unique effort to raise money and awareness for the organization. Members of the hearing, deaf and hearing impaired communities? were invited to participate in the event, dress up and have some fun.

“This is a bigger,” game show, said Hase, who suggested the fundraising idea, mimicking a Christmas event she’s often held at her home in Olivehurst.

“I expect people will enjoy the social event and support the fundraiser for Norcal.”

Appeal-Democrat reporter Andrea Koskey can be reached at 749-4709 or at akoskey@appealdemocrat.com