Amy Bauer ties Mike Rogers’ pink bow-tie at Saturday’s Pink Tie Affair at Unquarked in Central Park Square. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

Pete Giuliani, left, chats with Chris Fichtl during Saturday’s Pink Tie Affair. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

From left, Wendi Akerley, Raeanna Geiger and Rendia Carter place items on a table for the silent auction held during the Pink Tie Affair Saturday night at UnQuarked. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

One person’s idea created a spark of inspiration, others pitched in to keep that spark aglow and Saturday night the community showed up to set it ablaze.

The K2 Women’s Weekend started seven years ago. The weekend of skiing at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, ski clinics and demos, silent auctions and other activities are held annually to raise money for the Anita Salas Memorial Fund, an organization that helps those affected by breast and cervical cancer.

This year’s event was a bit different, said creator and event coordinator Amy Bauer. The festivities were all held Saturday, concluding with a new event, the Pink Tie Affair, at UnQuarked. The wine room hosted the event, which featured a silent auction, Chef Laura Hamilton’s appetizers and music by the Craig Martin Experience jazz band.

Bauer explained it was decided to shake things up this year because up until Saturday, Pajarito Mountain was not open for business. There are plans to hold a bike and hike event at the mountain sometime in June.

The goal for the fundraiser is to donate $10,000 to the memorial fund.

Bauer explained that the K2 Women’s Weekend originated when David Gardner approached her in 2008 and asked her to organize this event. A good friend of Gardner’s, Carolyn Hall Young, is a survivor of multiple cancers and Bauer was so inspired by Hall Young that she agreed to create this event.

“She brought the Anita Salas Memorial Fund to our attention,” Bauer said.

K2, a ski company, became the sponsor for this fundraiser as Gardner is a marker representative and K2 representative. Bauer said Gardner put her in contact with K2 and she ultimately became one of the company’s Women Alliance members. Bauer said she is one of only 16 people in the U.S. with this distinction.

This year, 35 women participated in the Women’s Weekend and Bauer said 75 were expected at the Pink Tie Affair, which was open to the entire community. Bauer said it is a great cause to support for a number of reasons.

“One is the type of people who come up and support this event are amazing people with great attitudes and the second thing is the Anita Salas Memorial Fund benefits men and women in the community,” she said. “It feels good to do something that local.”

The participants for the K2 Women’s Weekend also are a very loyal bunch. Bauer said about half of its attendees return every year for the event and the other half are new.

Bauer credits the community for the event’s success. “This event is only made possible because the community comes out to support it,” she said. “They get the credit for the success of it.”

Diane Dacamara of the Anita Salas Memorial Fund expressed deep gratitude for the fundraiser’s efforts. “This is fantastic,” she said. “Whatever they make, we’ll make it stretch.”

She added, “Los Alamos has been really generous; it is a really generous community.”

She explained 95 cents of every dollar in the memorial fund goes directly to cancer patients – whether it is to help with medical experiences, pitching in for gas to get to appointments or treatments, or helping out with the cost of prescriptions.

Currently, Dacamara said, more than 125 people in New Mexico diagnosed with either cervical or breast cancer receive help from the Anita Salas Memorial fund.

“For a grass-roots small fund, that’s a lot,” she said.

The Anita Salas Memorial Fund is named after its founder, Dacamara said. Salas started it in 1996. Salas is now deceased, but her two children sit on the memorial fund board.

People poured into UnQuarked Saturday night to show their support for the cause. One of those individuals was the very person who inspired the entire event’s creation – Hall Young.

“I’m so totally jazzed about what these amazing women and men are doing for the Anita Salas Memorial Fund,” Hall Young said. “Dynamite comes in small packages (and) what the Anita Salas Memorial Fund does is monumental with every single resource that comes its way. I’m so proud of what these women have done and what the Anita Salas Memorial Fund has done.”

Sandy Partridge, left, registers for the Pink Tie Affair with Andrea Pistone Saturday at UnQuarked. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

The Craig Martin Experience entertained the packed house Saturday at UnQuarked. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

Scott Hsu, left, and Chris Fichtl check out several bottles of wine up for auction. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com