HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Seek1 Search & Rescue, a Kansas-based nonprofit organization dedicated to locating missing people, will host its annual fundraiser Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Pleasantview Activity Center near Hutchinson.
The event will feature a donation-based meal beginning at 5 p.m., followed by a raffle drawing at 6 p.m. The activity center is located at 5015 S. Dean Road, approximately five miles west of Hutchinson near Highway 50.
Seek1 Search & Rescue is a volunteer organization that assists in searches for missing people across Kansas, particularly those who have become lost in rural or wilderness areas.
Alex Miller, a member of the organization's board, said the team has been busier than anticipated during the past year, responding to a double-digit number of search operations.
"We're focused on searches for folks who are not suspected of criminal disappearance, but rather those who are lost in the wilderness," Miller said. "So silver alerts, young children that have run off, really anyone who goes missing out in the wilderness in Kansas, we'll be there to help look for them."
The organization has approximately 20 trained volunteers who receive instruction in search and rescue techniques, CPR, first aid and outdoor survival skills. Additional community volunteers, drone operators and search dog teams assist when needed.
Miller said the group works alongside law enforcement agencies when responding to missing-person cases.
"If a call comes in for a missing person, somebody on the board will take the call, and once they do, they'll get the details of the case," Miller said. "If it's something that we are able to help with, and if it's something that law enforcement would like to coordinate with us on, then we'll take a team out as soon as we possibly can."
The organization was formed following the disappearance of Gary Foster near Abbyville approximately two years ago. A search and rescue team from Oklahoma assisted in the search, inspiring local residents to establish a similar organization in Kansas.
Several of Foster's grandchildren now serve on Seek1's board.
Miller said the Oklahoma team's professionalism and compassion for Foster's family helped shape the organization's mission.
"They really showed up as though they cared for the community, as though they cared for the family, and that's something that we would really like to channel," Miller said. "We would like to be there for people in crisis in more ways than one."
Seek1 received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status last year and relies entirely on charitable donations to support its operations.
Proceeds from last year's fundraiser helped the organization establish a communications system, acquire a command trailer and purchase equipment, including a drone.
The command trailer serves as a central location for coordinating searches, tracking field teams through mapping software and reviewing drone footage. It also provides a space for volunteers and law enforcement representatives to communicate during operations.
"Last year's fundraiser was really big for us," Miller said. "It allowed us to set up our communications hub. It allowed us, in part, to get a command trailer from which our operations in the field are based."
The Nov. 7 fundraiser will offer attendees several opportunities to contribute, including the donation-based meal, direct charitable contributions and raffle ticket purchases. Community members and businesses have donated items for the raffle.
There is no set price for the meal, allowing attendees to contribute an amount of their choosing.
Miller said donations are accepted throughout the year and help the organization continue developing its equipment, training and search capabilities.
Those interested in supporting the organization or learning more about the fundraiser can visit seek1sar.com or call or text 620-259-3726.