Kaskaskia College Foundation Winter Gala raises more than $70,000
The Kaskaskia College Foundation held its 3rd annual Winter Gala on Saturday, December 10, 2022, raising more than $70,000 to support scholarships and college programs, like the KC Now program. This year's event, with a "KC Royale" casino theme, returned after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic and was hosted at the Aviston American Legion in Aviston, IL.
KC President George Evans thanked everyone who sponsored or participated in the gala.
"It was a tremendous success, and the event was executed flawlessly. The crowd was huge, energetic, and in a giving mood," said Evans. "It shows that this community supports Kaskaskia College in a big way. We are eternally grateful for the strong support we receive from our public, our friends at the KC Foundation, and the staff at KC. You could not ask for a better team spirit at Kaskaskia College – I am eternally grateful to be part of such an amazing group of staff and faculty. They poured their hearts into this event, and it showed."
“We are so glad we were able to host our gala again,” said Craig Finke, president of the KC Foundation. “It’s exciting to have everyone together again and express our gratitude to our supporters in person. This gala’s proceeds will allow us to continue to help our students pursue their educational goals.”
The evening kicked off with dinner for over 300 guests and the opening of the silent auction, followed by casino gameplay and a live auction. Guests heard from Breese Central Community High School Superintendent Dr. Dustin Foutch and the first graduate of the KC Now Program, Kylie Stockmann on what a great program KC Now is and how the partnership with the local high schools tremendously benefits students to achieve their career faster.
Stockmann enrolled in the KC Now program as a senior at Mater Dei High School in 2021 to complete courses in the Residential and Commercial Wiring Program. She officially completed all her coursework in the program on December 7 and will be the first graduate of the KC Now program.
The KC Now program is a cost-savings program for high school students to explore career options that may be unavailable at their high schools. KC Now allows students to get a head start on earning college credit via dual credit opportunities and courses at the college. Eligible students are responsible for 50% of the tuition costs, fees, and books, but the student may have costs offset with financial assistance depending on financial need.
“I am humbled and honored to have chaired this year’s KC Winter Gala,” said KC Vice President Julie Obermark. “The hard work of this Winter Gala committee and the generosity of our community members exceeded my expectations on the chance to give back, have fun, and raise money for the college.”
The Winter Gala Committee would also like to thank the numerous sponsors for helping make this event possible. Ace sponsors for the event include SSM-Health St. Mary's, Kane Insurance Agency, Poettker Construction, and the Southern Illinois Builder's Association. King sponsors included Building Blocks Daycare, WRF Engineers, Farmers State Bank of Hoffman, Clinton County Farm Bureau, FGM Architects, Friends of John Cavaletto, Dr. Maryann Langenfeld, and KC President George Evans. Jackpot sponsors included Southwestern Electric Cooperative, First National Bank of Carlyle, Litteken Construction Company, Subway/Best Western Plus/Scooter's Coffee, Barnes and Noble College Booksellers, Midland States Bank, Farmer Environmental Services, LLC, Madiar Government Relations, LLC, Robbins Schwartz, and Secure Data Technologies.
Original source can be found here
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