Spaghetti Western Night at the Norris Road Veterans’ Hall was far from an old Sergio Leone western film and more of a dinner with a live band. Quota International of Bakersfield is a non-profit service group that specifically focuses on the deaf and hard-of-hearing in Bakersfield.
Being the only service group in Bakersfield that focuses on the deaf and hard-of-hearing, it is a tight-knit community that hosts events to get the deaf and hard-of-hearing to mingle with others.
Audra Miller has been a member since 1986 and has been both president and treasurer. She learned sign language at the age of 15 and is almost completely deaf without her hearing aide.
For the third year, Quota has hosted a Spaghetti Western Night as a fundraiser for the organization.
Luigi’s donated the spaghetti dinner and Tommy Hays and the Western Swingsters provided live music for all in attendance.
Elderly couples line danced to the music and children ran around dancing in circles, laughing and singing.
A 50/50 Drawing and a silent auction also raised money for the organization. The silent auction had baskets full of bath products, candles, children’s toys, BBQ sauces, wines and even blankets.
Janet Skibinski, also a member of Quota, said that they raised $7,000 and had over 350 people attending. According to Skibinski, all of the money will go into a general pot that will be dispersed to different projects. “All of the money we raise stays local. We provide for the deaf education in grades K-12. We make fleece blankets for CASA, we help out the Alliance Against Family Violence, we hold book drives and food drives,” said Skibinski.
Stephanie Jones, a third-year student at Bakersfield College who is taking ASL 4, Advanced American Sign Language Part 2, and ASL 7, Literature and Performance, was in attendance.
She said she loves the language and the community. “They are awesome.” Jones attended Highland High School, saw their deaf education program and thought that it would be fun to learn to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing students.