As we prepare for our upcoming gala, “Back to the Farm,” we reflect on how this gala has grown. I’ve watched for 15 years this annual event transform. What started as a local fair with breakfast and boutique, later added silent and live auctions, moved to the church with a dinner and a little larger benefit auction, then to the Planes of Fame Air Museum, a country club and the Fairplex in between, to the last three years needing the largest hotel space around to house over 100 auction items and a show, dinner, and more for over 500 people! I recall so many wonderful volunteers who have put in countless time and effort to guarantee Salem’s gala would be attended by our local community. Marie Meinders, Ginger Holland, Joan Westra, and many others brought beauty, creativity, and upped our fundraising to reach our annual state funding gaps to bring Salem what it needs. But there is one that stands out to all of us – Dee Van Dam!

Cindy Behnke: Hi Dee! How did you first get involved in Salem?  
‍Dee Van Dam: My first memories are of my father who was a supporter of the livestock auction. He just loved going to it! My sisters and I couldn’t attend, but we would babysit for Thelma Schoneveld - just another connection. And then there was the Salem fair. This is where I found my way to serve at Salem.  
CB: For your career, you were a biller at Pomona Valley Hospital for almost 30 years. But during this whole time, you served Salem, too. Why don’t you tell our readers some ways you have served Salem over the years, Dee.  
‍DVD: Helping at the Salem Fair, now known as the gala, specifically in the silent auction. This 3-ring binder (pic) I have kept with our committee meeting minutes, ideas for silent auction baskets, copies of the bulletin announcement we would put in the churches, samples of ideas of Bethany Christian’s auction, totals, and more. The oldest one to date I started keeping track of was from 1993. Later, health setbacks caused me to have to retire…. or I would be still helping!    During this time, I also volunteered at the thrift store. This was another way of supporting Salem.  You can support Salem by volunteering at 3 Way Thrift! I want others to know that, too. My responsibilities were so many things at 3 Way… from bagging clothing, sorting items including greeting cards, polishing silver, everything you can think of. I really enjoyed it; gives you purpose and satisfaction! I think that’s so important. And I just loved being able to see Salem blessed. My whole family did it. My other sister helped... Bert and his late wife; it was a family thing to do. I helped where I could. I remember one local Special Olympics where we were assigned different residents to walk with. I didn’t know the resident I walked with was deaf until later. He just smiled the whole time. And I just chattered away. He was just happy with the attention. Such a kick in the pants when I found out later! He smiled the whole way, content.  

CB: That’s so sweet! Having worked with you on many silent auctions you coordinated, they just kept getting better… from the first auction you worked raised over $3,000 on the silent auction, until now raising over $12,000! Your diligence in wanting  a copy of every item sold and the price it sold for, so you could improve for the next year. What do you think motivated you to make these galas better?
‍DVD: When we were at the Salem campus, the silent auction was very simple. Then Lori Schoneveld brought these teacups and wrapped them up so pretty with cellophane and a bow. The presentation was so appealing, we just decided we needed to do this too. Lori gets the credit! The more eye-catching the item, the more bids it would get. So, I started wrapping things up pretty, and I would make sure everything in the basket was visible. It’s like an art! Then think of Ginger (Judy and Joyce Hertel’s sister); her creativity would baffle me. I’m not sure how we used to do the silent auction on our old main campus’ basketball court. We would have to tape down the silent auction sheets because of the wind. I remember one couple, the wife told the husband, “Don’t come home unless you come with that windmill!” And my brother would just bid him up. He was so naughty! But he knew—we all knew—it was for a good cause.  Honestly, I loved to see success for Salem. It is so much fun! So then I started to shop for multiple Items for baskets and create them. I would spend the whole year finding what would be appealing for auction. Then there would be people who would make things, like Grandma Rietkert’s afghans – and people would love them. Salem became the place to go for auctions. It was a big family of friends who loved being together and having fun while also supporting Salem!

CB: Why do you think having these big events that take hundreds of hours of volunteer work, specifically the silent auction where you served Salem 25-plus years, is so important?
‍DVD: Writing a check is just not as much fun as attending these events. Social events of these kind are good, good for all of us. And meeting the residents! The residents’ dispositions on a whole are just so happy. I always like when I get to sit with the residents at my table at the galas. As for the silent auction, you get a memory to take home, and you look at that item in your home and think where you got it from and why you got it.  
‍CB: What made you stay supporting Salem for decades?
‍DVD: Knowing it was a good cause. 3 Way Thrift gives to three worthy organizations. But Salem doesn’t all have family like the school (Ontario Christian) and their families and Inland (Christian Home) has their families. Salem has some orphans, some residents with no family at all. I want to support something where the need is greater. And where the people are overlooked. That’s what kept me going! Of course, it was so nice to have friends that were like-minded too, and so much fun finding things to buy that people would want to buy. I would say to them, you just bid it up! You get something to take home. And you help Salem!  
‍CB: Oh Dee, I know you never would want this recognition, but we sure do appreciate you, your desire to serve, use your giftedness, all for the Kingdom work of Salem. And it was so fun going down memory lane with you!
DVD: This made me reminisce so much about the history of Salem. The Salem annual event by Women’s Auxiliary was the original fair with boutique and bake sale, all on campus. Added a live auction and then the silent auction. We kept on growing. When you think it was just a little fair and now this spectacular gala that makes so much money! It’s because people have so much fun doing it. For me, the friendships were so important, continuing to work with friends who loved helping in the same ways as you. I liked doing auctions. I didn’t want any more things for me. But just like I enjoy going to quilt shows, but I don’t get one, I like to appreciate other people’s work. I go to a museum and see someone else’s talent; I can’t do it, but I can certainly appreciate it. I wanted to do this for Salem.  
‍CB: And anyone who has worked with Dee or been to a fair, benefit auction, or gala over the last 30 years, can attest to seeing this in Dee with her time and talents. She has helped create such a lasting impact for Salem in not only our fundraising efforts, but also in making people want to come back and be part of Salem. We love you, Dee. Thank you!