Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Kentucky has another sellout for its annual Spirits in the Cave event.

All 500 tickets at $35 each were sold by late Thursday, according to Robin Pemberton, events coordinator for Big Brothers.

Now it’s just a matter of getting those who sold tickets to come to the event and bid on the auction items.

For the second year, the band Exit 4 will headline entertainment for the food tasting and auction event at Lost River Cave and Valley starting at 6 p.m. Thursday.

“We had them last year and they were interested in coming back,” Pemberton said. “And the crowd seemed to really like them.

“We give them a little gas money … so basically it’s an in-kind donation,” she said.

Band members are from Bowling Green, Nashville and Owensboro.

“Their name came up because when they would get together to play a gig or practice here they would get off on Exit 4 of the Natcher,” Pemberton said, noting the group plays rock and pop covers from the ’60s to present day.

Since the event has a large sponsorship from the English, Lucas, Priest and Owsley law firm and generous donations from vendors, all ticket and silent auction sales benefit the mentoring organization.

People should bring their checkbooks to bid on some first-ever items this year.

Tennessee Titans tickets will be auctioned, to go with a football signed by the entire team. And, for the first time, there are tickets to Disney World, Pemberton said.

But the big-ticket item is a queen-size box spring and mattress set from Trent Bedding valued at $3,200, she said.

Pemberton said they also have a Bose Wave Radio, which was really popular last year.

Other items include weekend stays within driving distance, furniture, pampering baskets, golf-related items and numerous other things.

Last year, the event raised $39,500 and the goal this year is $41,000, according to Pemberton.

The funding helps operate the program that serves Warren, Allen and Barren counties. It takes about $1,100 to take care of a match between a volunteer and child each year. That includes administrative costs and training.

Typically, at least 35 children are on a waiting list for matches, mostly boys.

“Mainly because we have a shortage of male volunteers,” she said.

Bowling Green attorney Brett Reynolds has been a Big Brother for nine years now and has been serving on the organization’s board for several years.

“If you think you don’t have time, there is so much time in the day that you waste that you can be doing something,” Reynolds said. “It’s clich/, but I have gotten way more out of this than I put in.”

Even after having two children of his own, Reynolds said he has stayed with his Little Brother, Troy Halcomb.

“Our relationship has changed over the years,” he said. “Mostly because he is busier than I ever thought he would be.”

Halcomb, soon to be a 17-year-old junior at Warren Central High School, plays basketball and football and has two jobs this summer.

“So most of our interaction now is me watching him play sports,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds believes in the cause so much that he talked to his employer about being the Spirits in the Cave title sponsor.

“I said we have a great opportunity here to sponsor something worthwhile … and we get a lot of good publicity out of this event,” he said. “It has grown and has become one of our favorite events as a firm to sponsor.”

Participating vendors include 440 Main, Applebee’s, Bread & Bagel, Brickyard Caf/, Buffalo Wild Wings, Country Mill, Mariah’s/Buckhead Caf/, O’Charley’s, Santa Fe, Smokey Bones, Spirit Bakery, T.G.I. Friday’s, The Great American Grille (in the Hilton Garden Inn), Wha Bah’s, Clark Distributing, Coca-Cola, J B Distributors, Pepsi and Republic National Distributing Co.

— For more information about the organization, call 781-1180.