A grand total of $21,000 was recently deposited into the Hobson School scholarship program, the payoff of a well-planned and well-attended annual Hobson Extravaganza. According to one organizer, this year’s total yielded $1,000 more than last year’s.

Bedrock and the Flintstones, the theme for this year’s Extravaganza, offered Stone Age fun and entertainment. Many of the Bedrock characters–Fred and Wilma Flintstone, their daughter Pebbles and pet dinosaur Dino, as well as their neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble and their son Bamm Bamm–were in attendance Saturday night. Many of the guests had accepted the fundraiser committee’s invitation to dress for the occasion, using their imaginations to create great Bedrock apparel. Craig Kriskovich took home best costume honors, his prize dinner for two at Gramma Ruby’s in Hobson.

Pebbles and Bamm Bamm each had silent auction sections named for them, with some great “stuff” just waiting for the highest bidder. Bidders were required to have numbers for this year’s auction. Then all they had to do was write their number on the list provided with each silent auction item or let auctioneer Jayson Shobe know their number for each live auction item. The bookkeepers felt this method would speed up the check out at the end of the evening. The jury is still out on this new Extravaganza development.

The decorating committee had built a large volcano, complete with real smoke, for the background to the stage. Various Stone Age contraptions and large, colorful pictures of the Bedrock characters added to the atmosphere. Heather Hull’s seventh-grade art class had made life-sized Dino eggs, which were evident around the volcano. The tables were decorated with glass containers of water and pebbles with a hatching dinosaur egg and a fern. Dinosaur fun facts offered information to interested readers: some dinosaurs grew to be 10,000 times their original birth size.

Eleven artists began their masterpieces at 6 p.m., the crowd keeping close tabs on their progress. Viewers were amazed how quickly a piece could change from beginning to end. Those artists painting pictures then framed their work and gave them a title. Diana Roen’s “Home on the Prairie” brought the highest bid at $675. Kim Vincent was the buyer. The Quick Draw itself added over $2,000 to the scholarship coffers, as the artists kindly donate the majority of their take to the evening’s cause.

While the artists were busy at their tasks, many people filed through the food line, which wound itself slowly by the many items donated for the live auction. This line allowed people a chance to determine what things they would be sure to bid on later. And when they finally reached the hors d’oeuvres table, they were rewarded for their wait with exquisite finger foods that included buffalo wings, meatballs, bacon wrapped sesame sticks, stuffed tomatoes and chocolate dipped strawberries. Coffee and punch rounded out the feast.

The Flintstone Band and a Rock Band entertained the masses during a lull in the lively bidding of the live auction, and everyone was urged to participate in the cave drawing when they took pencil and paper in hand to draw a pig. Hobson School science teacher Michael Poser then enlightened amateur artists on the personality traits determined by the drawings.

The popular Heads-Tails Game once again drew a large number of players. For the price of a $5 bill, participants were given the chance to win a clean, crisp $50 bill. All they had to do was guess the correct toss of the coin, heads or tails, by placing their hands on their heads or on their “tails.” The last person standing took home the cash.

Everyone who participated in the Rock Game went home with a great prize with very little effort. All one had to do was collect the prize with the number corresponding to the number on the rock he/she had purchased earlier in the evening.

All in all, Bedrock and the Flintstones was a win-win situation. Those who attended had a great Stone Age experience and for many “a walk down memory lane,” as they recalled the first prime time cartoon for adults. They also went home with great treasures. The students of Hobson School will soon benefit from the scholarship monies generated Saturday night. The hard work of the fundraiser’s dedicated committee members, the many businesses, artists, and area donors who gave so graciously to the cause, and the generous community-minded people who bid during the evening can be proud of their part in the big payoff. They will eventually be part of an even larger payoff when the scholarship recipients continue and finish their education.