KINGSTON — With the sounds of family fireworks shows in the background, people gathered at the Kingston Cove Yacht Club Tuesday for the chance to win a lamp that looked very much like a colorful explosion.

The celebration of independence and this country was the backdrop for a small, but important raffle that supported the Kathleen Sutton Inspirational Fund. Though the fund assists fewer than 20 local women, the cause goes beyond numbers.

For those women, it provides transportation money that assists them in paying for travel to and from their treatments for breast cancer. Sutton, a former Kingston resident and community leader, battled the disease for more than six years and noted the high expense involved in getting to her appointments, many of which were in Seattle. She died from the disease in April 2004 and the fund-raiser was started shortly thereafter.

“Our yearly auction is enough to help those women for about a year. We give them cash for gas,” said fund organizer Janice Kutz, adding that cancer victims often have to travel extensively to receive the medical assistance they need.

The raffle, which concluded July 4, was the brainchild of Marsha Dohrendorf, owner of Kingston Naturals, who approached the fund members with the idea.

“There’s such a need for what they are doing,” she said. “I hope to do a donation every three months.”

Dohrendorf still hasn’t picked what item she’ll donate for the next raffle, but she said she’s thinking about a piece of artwork.

“Everyone was there for the cause and for the generosity of Marsha,” said fund organizer Vivi-Ann Parnell. “She’s very into giving to the community.”

Though Kutz said this raffle went quickly and was not as promoted as well she would have liked, it brought in a respectable $600 that will be used to lessen the travel costs for cancer victims.

“When you spend it, it comes back slowly,” she said. “It will last us for a while.”

The lucky lamp winner was Shine resident Linda Pickens, who lived next door to Sutton before she died.

“I was really, really excited,” Pickens said about winning the prize. “I love the lamp, it was a real thrill.”

Pickens said she bought three tickets just before the raffle because she only had $3. Her friends from California, however, bought a large number each to support the cause and to improve their chances of winning the brass lamp with glass tulip shades.

“It only takes one ticket,” she said, adding that her daughter fell in love with the lamp, and as a result, Pickens will be giving it to her. “It’s a good cause, win or lose. It was something we felt very strongly about. Kathy was a great gal.”

“Because of this, we can continue what we started,” Parnell said. “The more we can be exposed, the more women we can help.”