When a community member is in need, Sanders County is always there to help. Volunteers from Thompson Falls and beyond are busy gathering the final items for a fundraiser set for Saturday to help Randy Pirker with his fight against pancreatic cancer. The benefit begins at 3 p.m. at the Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge east of Thompson Falls.

Pirker, a 1978 graduate of Thompson Falls High School and longtime coach in the district, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last year and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

Pirker has been a real estate agent with Realty Northwest in Thompson Falls for more than 10 years. Coworker Sharon Sorlie and Pirker’s daughter Stephanie Castillo have been organizing the benefit with the help of friends.

The benefit begins at 3 p.m. with a taco dinner and silent auction of dessert items. The dessert auction will close at 5:30 p.m., and the live auction begins at 5 p.m. The regular silent auction begins at 3 p.m. and will end at 7 p.m. Among the live auction are handmade quilts, artwork, guns, and airplane rides donated by local pilots. There’s also Miranda Lambert concert tickets, Big Mountain ski lift tickets, firewood, a Traeger grill, and many other items.

Live music by classic rock party band Fresh Ink will follow the auction. Auctioneer Kevin Hill of Kevin Hill Auction Service is donating his talents for the live auction at the event.

Gail Enger, owner of Realty Northwest has donated a 1996 Chevy S10 pickup to be raffled off, with the winner to be drawn at the benefit on Saturday. Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100. The pickup can be seen near the Realty Northwest office on Main Street in Thompson Falls. Another raffle item at the benefit will be a “wagon of joy,” a western wagon full of alcohol.

Sorlie said the response from the community has been overwhelming, from donations to volunteers helping gather those donations and plan the event.

For more information or to donate, contact Sorlie at 546-5030 or Castillo at 360-6972. Donations also may be made through an account set up at First Security Bank.