From left, Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics shares a conversation with Bill St. John and Scotty Hooper during Wednesday’s Student Investment Luncheon and Auction. Image credit: WSCC
HANCEVILLE – Wallace State’s Future Foundation hosted its 12th annual Student Investment Luncheon and Auction on Wednesday, raising more than $185,250 to fund student scholarships at the college.
Future Foundation donors and scholarships continue to increase each year as money is raised at the event through a live and silent auction, scholarship contributions and table sales.
Before Wednesday’s event, the Future Foundation has awarded 1,986 scholarships since 2007, including 333 during the 2015-16 academic year. Also over the 2015-16 academic year, 102 dual enrollment scholarships were awarded, totaling $36,176.
Supporters on hand at the event at Tom Drake Coliseum were treated to a catered lunch prepared by the Wallace State Café and the Wallace State Culinary Arts program. For the second consecutive year recent student scholarship recipients distributed the lunches as a way to thank the supporters and donors for their contributions. Members of the Wallace State Cheerleading squad also assisted at the luncheon.
“I love that the scholarship recipients have an opportunity to engage with the donors while they are here. Otherwise, the donors don’t get to know the scholarship recipient nor do the recipients get to know the donor who provided them with an opportunity,” said Wallace State’s Suzanne Harbin, executive director of the Future Foundation. “For me, this event is also about the number of scholarships we can award and we are very thankful for the number we achieved today. It will allow us to fully fund scholarships from somewhere from 100 to 150 students annually.”
Wednesday’s live and silent auction featured a variety of items.
Four Iron Bowl tickets and four meal tickets for Nov. 26 raised the most money during the live auction, selling for $4,000. A 28-gauge automatic Beretta shotgun sold for $3,500, and a one-week stay at the Gulf Shores Beach Club was sold for $2,000. Other live items sold were a custom-made grill, Alabama and Auburn fire pits, a Glock pistol, a blue topaz teardrop 14K necklace and chain, a $1,000 gift certificate to Perdido Beach Resort and an American Eagle 1/2 oz. gold coin.
Among the silent auction items were additional tickets to this year’s Iron Bowl, multiple luxury hotel stays, a signed football by Nick Saban, a signed helmet by Bo Jackson, a snowman Christmas tree, both Yeti and Orca coolers, and an array of homemade goods.
For the first time, individuals at the event were given the chance to “Fund a Need” for a Wallace State student. The coupons offered included helping students with book scholarships, emergency gas cards, dining cards and tuition for selected amounts of credit hours.
Harbin said a $25 emergency gift card for gas is “like gold” to students who need that bit of additional assistance to get to class. “We had one student who walked two hours to school,” she said as an example of the need for such items. The Future Foundation will have a link on its website (www.wsccfuturefoundation.org) where donors may select one of the Fund a Need options.
Individuals at the luncheon were given a free ticket to the Wallace State Theatre’s production of “Singin’ in the Rain,” which begins on campus Thursday at 7 p.m., with encores on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics welcomed all in attendance at the outset of the Investment Luncheon and Auction. “This event is about changing a student’s life by investing in their education and producing successful graduates,” Karolewics said. “All proceeds from today’s event will benefit the Future Foundation Scholarship fund, which has awarded $1.1 million in scholarships to deserving students over the last decade.”
Jason Spann, the current Wallace State Future Foundation President, provided updates throughout the event along with Vice President Leah Bolin. Spann announced a number of new named scholarships, including, the Bert McGriff Endowed Scholarship; the Kenny Smith Veterans’ Memorial Scholarship; the Cliff Reed Memorial Scholarship; the Sheriff’s Excellence Award established by Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry for Criminal Justice; the Connor Strickland Memorial Scholarship; and the C.J. Burney Memorial Scholarship for Agriculture.
Mr. Burney, who passed away earlier this year, was recognized in a video extolling his commitment to education and his generosity in providing scholarships to students at Wallace State.
Other Future Foundation Board of Director members include Bill St. John, Tim Compton, Mike Eckenrod, T.J. Franey, Dale Greer, Donna Guthrie, Scotty Hooper, Don Hubbard, Billy Jackson, Danny Kelly, Layne Lowery, Shirley Quattlebaum, John Riley, Lisa Weeks, Jeb Williamson, Dr. Karolewics, Dr. Tomesa Smith, Harbin, Betty Leeth Haynes and Fred Cespedes.
Special thanks was given to sponsors of the Student Investment Luncheon, including: Premier Sponsors American Proteins, My Way Transportation, St. Vincent’s Health System, Cullman Savings Bank; Gold Sponsors Yutaka Technologies, American Proteins, Inc., Cullman Savings Bank, Freedom Insurance Agency, Mrs. Donna Guthrie, Hometown Bank of Oneonta, McGriff Industries, St. John and Associates, Inc., Topre America, Traditions Bank; 33 Silver Sponsors; 32 Friends Sponsors; and 50 dedicated Wallace State faculty and staff.
For more about Wallace State’s Future Foundation, visit www.wsccfuturefoundation.org or call 256-352-7808 or 256-352-8046.
For more information about Wallace State, visit wallacestate.edu.
