Pahrump Moose Lodge fundraiser raises more than $15,000 for local causes

Michelle Nelson earned the pig kiss for Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley after Pahrump Moose Lodge 808’s first-ever Kiss a Pig campaign raised more than $15,000 for local causes. The fundraiser closed with a reveal party on Sunday, April 26, where supporters gathered for a spaghetti donation dinner, raffle activity and check presentations before Nelson claimed the top fundraising spot and took home the victory for her nonprofit.

The campaign ran for four weeks in March and April and drew more than a dozen Community Champions, each raising money for a nonprofit of choice. Under the event’s 50-50 structure, half of each participant’s funds went directly to the organization they represented, while the remaining half was pooled to support additional nonprofits across the Pahrump Valley. That model turned a novelty contest into a funding stream for groups that handle food, youth services, animal welfare, emergency response and community support.

Nelson led the field with $4,480 for Soroptimist International Pahrump Valley. Other participants and causes included Bill Dolan for DAV Department of Nevada, Michael “Brent” Kaucky for Valley Electric Charitable Foundation, Charli Bruce for NYESPACE, Deanna O’Donnell for Never Forgotten Animal Society, Avery Sampson for The Avery Project, Laurie Olsen for Pahrump VFW Food Bank, Saundra Fisher for Pahrump Martin Luther King Foundation, Kayla Ball for No To Abuse, Jennifer Riendeau for Awkward Silence 4-H Robotics Club, Ron Taylor for Southern Nye County Search and Rescue and Ryan Muccio for Nye Communities Coalition. The pig used for the finale came from RNG Farms.

Shannon Arimura, the lodge’s Moose Heart of the Community chair, thanked the crowd and tied the fundraiser to the lodge’s broader mission. Pahrump Moose Lodge 808 was formed in 1980 as a 501(c)(8) fraternal organization, and it says its charitable work supports Mooseheart, Moosehaven, seniors in need and other community charities. The lodge’s share of the money will help fund future local efforts, including birthday boxes for families who cannot easily afford party supplies, candy and eggs for the annual Easter celebration at Simkins Park, Christmas gifts and Meals on Wheels support for seniors.

The event also reflected Arimura’s wider record of local giving. She previously organized a Birthday Box drive that drew more than 50 requests from Nye County schools, including Rosemary Clarke Middle School, Manse Elementary, J.G. Johnson Elementary and schools in Amargosa. In that context, the pig kiss was more than a crowd-pleaser. It became another cash infusion for the volunteer network that keeps many small but essential services moving in Pahrump.