Round-Up and auction fundraiser helps Arrowhead keep serving at-risk

Round-Up and auction fundraiser helps Arrowhead keep serving at-risk
youth

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storyBy Brandy Donaldson, bdonaldson@qconline.com

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Photo: Paul Colletti Dave Eschelman and Don Caves stand in front of a 1986 Jaguar sedan, taking bids for the car during the Arrowhead Ranch Roundup auction in Coal Valley on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011. On Sunday dozens of cars and household items were put on the auction block to help raise funds for the organization.

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Photo: Paul Colletti Dozens of car buyers wait to get titles at the conclusion of the Arrowhead Ranch Roundup auction in Coal Valley on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011.

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Photo: Paul Colletti Signs at Arrowhead Ranch indicate where buyers can stand to get tiles for their new cars.

COAL VALLEY — Despite persistent rainfall and chilly temperatures Sunday,
Arrowhead Ranch’s 39th Annual Round-Up and Auction was a success, with close to
2,000 people braving the elements to support a good cause.

The round-up
is Arrowhead Ranch’s major fundraiser of the year. This year, more than 80
vehicles were auctioned, raising thousands of dollars for the youth treatment
facility at 12200 104th St., Coal Valley.

“Even the rain didn’t scare
people away. People still came out,” said Brandon Terronez, Arrowhead Ranch’s
development director. “This is our biggest fundraiser and what keeps us going
throughout the year. The money we raise here goes right back into Arrowhead. It
goes into the programs and back to the kids to keep us a healthy
organization.”

Arrowhead Ranch has been serving at-risk youth for 66
years.

“We are a residential facility for youth that are at risk,” Mr.
Terronez said. “We receive most of our kids through school districts, the
probation department, the Department of Justice or DCFS (Department of Children
and Family Services). We are the last step for some of these kids who could be
headed to the Department of Corrections. We are the people who try to steer them
back on the right path.”.

Sunday’s event included games, a craft fair,
food vendors, bingo, a small item auction, a classic car display by the Quad
City Cruisers and a performance by Comedy Sportz.

The event’s main
attraction each year is the auto auction, which this year included 86 vehicles —
everything from cars, trucks and boats to a John Deere tractor — all donated by
the public.

Every vehicle on the auction block sold. The goal was to
bring in an average of $1,000 per vehicle, Mr. Terronez said.

Neil Dahl,
of Orion, has been supporting the event for more than a decade. He has bought
several vehicles over the years and went home with a four-door Jaguar on
Sunday.

“I’ve been doing it for years. It’s a good cause and we have a
ball doing it,” he said. “I’ve been coming out for 15 years, more than a dozen
cars ago. It’s a good time.”

With Arrowhead Ranch relying primarily on
state funds, the money raised Sunday will be a needed addition to the facility’s
budget, board president Dave Howell, of LeClaire, said.

“(The round-up)
is a great opportunity to show off this great place that does so many wonderful
things for youth. But, of course, it also is to raise money,” he said. “It’s
getting more difficult to find funds, so this is an important fundraiser for
us.

“We have kids here that desperately need our support. (Arrowhead
Ranch) is a great alternative to jail for them to get help and work out their
problems. It has proven to be an effective alternative for a lot of kids.
Agencies like Arrowhead are going away. We want to fight to keep this place
open.”

Arrowhead Ranch is home to 31 youth — male and female, principal
Russ Williams said. In addition to education and rehabilitation, the youth also
have a chance to learn a vocational skill, such as auto mechanics and wood
working.

“It teaches the kids the difference between work and quality
work,” Mr. Williams said. “It raises their awareness of doing something well as
opposed to just getting it done. (At Arrowhead Ranch), their behavior gets
stabilized, then they learn to communicate better.

“Once that piece takes
off, I see significant changes. They’re just a lot more open to discussions
about their behaviors and beliefs, and that’s when they start to make those
significant changes.”

Arrowhead Ranch will host another auto auction in
January. To donate a vehicle or to help support the facility, contact Brandon
Terronez at (309) 799-7044, ext. 270 or by email at
bterronez@arrowheadranchinc.com.