A rotary fundraiser to combat human trafficking wasn’t supposed to launch a rock band.

But it did. And the members of the Soup Dogs agree on one thing: if it weren’t for Doug Wadsworth, they probably wouldn’t be in it.

The president and CEO of Tri-CU Credit Union knew the event needed live entertainment. So Wadsworth, a longtime Rotarian, recruited a few fellow Columbia Center Rotary Club members who could play an instrument.

Bill Robertson, Mark Showalter and Jeff Petersen were part of that first jam session, held at Robertson’s house.

It was fun, said Wadsworth, a Rotarian since 2008, “but we needed a drummer.”

Fellow rotary club member Phil Ohl, managing director of Tri-Cities Angel Alliance, a networking group aimed at connecting entrepreneurs and investors, asked if he could join as the drummer.

When asked if he had any experience, Ohl replied, “How hard could it be?”

And so began the Soup Dogs, a band name inspired by the soup Robertson’s wife, Debbie, made for all of their practices.

For the group – made up of local business leaders and retirees – the project has grown beyond a one-time fundraiser into an unexpected outlet for connection, collaboration and community involvement. 

A few years ago, a group of Rotarians banded together to raise money for humanitarian efforts. Now, the Soup Dogs play a few times a year, and the money goes toward combatting human trafficking.

| Photo by Rachel Visick

Rounding out the band

The band didn’t let their limited experience deter them as they rounded up more members to fill out the band.

Early on, the band was practicing at a rotary social when Khurshed Sharifov walked in to find the keyboard empty. He asked who their keyboardist was, but they had none.

Though Sharifov only played the accordion, he sat down at the keyboard and fit right in.

The only band member who wasn’t already a Rotarian was Rich Sargent. Ohl, a friend for 30 years, asked him to come because they needed a guitarist, and while joining Rotary wasn’t mandatory, he did anyway.

Ohl also called on René Vasquez to handle sound and lighting. Despite a lack of experience, the Rotarian since 1991 had always loved music.

As the group jelled, they moved from Robertson’s house to his shop, and then to Showalter’s hangar at the Richland Airport, which offered plenty of space, even with a small plane and two cars inside.

On a recent night of practice, the hangar pulsed with rock classics like “Margaritaville,” “Let It Be” and “Hound Dog,” as well as a Showalter original about shopping in Costco.

These familiar songs made it nearly impossible not to tap a foot in time. The musicians eventually took a break and chatted with one another over bowls of homemade soup before diving back into the music. 

Mark Showalter, above, offered up his spacious hangar at the Richland Airport as the Soup Dogs developed and the band outgrew their space at Bill Robertson’s house. 

| Photo by Rachel Visick

Professional lives

The Soup Dogs all have – or have retired from – rich professional lives.

Ohl was recently named the 2026 Tri-Citian of the Year for his service and community-building efforts.

Robertson, along with his wife, owns Bill Robertson Nissan in Pasco, while Sharifov owns the local Charles Schwab financial services branch.

Vasquez works at Spencer Carlson Furniture in Kennewick after spending 43 years at Ennis Fine Furniture and later working as a manager at La-Z-Boy.

Showalter, Sargent and Petersen are all retired: Showalter was the owner of PS Media; Sargent served as Franklin PUD’s power manager; and Petersen was CEO of Petersen Hastings Wealth Advisors.

While some of the band members played musical instruments prior to joining Soup Dogs, many had never been in a band before.

They’ve all learned and grown over the last three years, adding more instruments and really “coming into their own,” said Diane Ohl, the drummer’s wife. 

Doug Wadsworth, left, and Bill Robertson, center, were part of the Soup Dogs’ very first jam session. Phil Ohl, right, joined soon after on the drums. 

| Photo by Rachel Visick

Humanitarian efforts

The first show featured on a poster announcing the Soup Dogs’ 2026 North American Tour is this year’s Shine a Light on Human Trafficking event, which is 5-8 p.m. May 16 at the Columbia Center Rotary event center, 6222 W. John Day Ave., Kennewick.

The event, themed as a street dance, will include a large-scale game of beer pong with garbage cans and volleyballs, organized by the Rotaract group, along with speakers, a beer garden and several food trucks.

General admission is $20, while tickets for a Red 10 Bash team – the large-scale beer pong – are $30 and include general admission. Table sponsorship and corporate sponsorships are also available.

Proceeds support efforts to raise awareness about human trafficking. The rotary’s anti-human trafficking committee’s efforts include grants to local organizations, such as Support, Advocacy & Resource Center’s (SARC); teacher training programs; putting up signs in bus systems and city parks; and distributing flyers during the hydroplane races with hotline information for victims.

Robertson, a past rotary president, launched the Shine a Light event in 2020, inspired by a fundraiser held by an international rotary club in Germany. He organized a campout-style fundraiser in January with a bonfire and a big spotlight.  

The next year, the event moved online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it continued to evolve until Wadsworth decided to add live entertainment in 2023.

What began as a one-time effort for the event has since expanded. The Soup Dogs have been invited to play additional gigs at venues including Solar Spirits, Bookwalter Winery and Meadow Springs Country Club.

This year’s schedule includes concerts at Anelare Winery in Benton City on June 26 and Bookwalter Winery in Richland on Sept. 19.

All of the money the band raises at their shows – about $5,000 so far – goes toward their rotary club’s anti-human trafficking committee to raise awareness and help victims of human trafficking.

That’s the best part of being in the band, Showalter said.

“It’s terrific,” Sargent said. “That’s why you do it.”

Follow the Soup Dogs on Facebook. For tickets to the Shine a Light event, go to: bit.ly/shine-a-light-tickets.