The 20th annual Flint Hills Technical College benefit gala and auction was a record-setting event even before a single meal was served or any live bids were placed.
The sold event saw a record-setting attendance and managed to bring in more than $100,300 ahead of the doors to White Auditorium opening Friday night thanks to a combination of ticket sales and a silent auction that went live Monday. In addition to benefiting scholarships for FHTC students, a portion of Friday’s proceeds will also benefit the Wrangler Student Crisis Relief Fund which was established at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic according to FHTC Foundation Director Mike Crouch.
This year’s gala brought in a preliminary total of $160,000. FHTC Alumni Fund Coordinator Andrea Cahoone believes the overwhelming support for the gala says a lot about the community’s admiration for everything the college contributes to Emporia.
FHTC President Caron Daugherty was attending her very first gala as college president and says this year has set the bar high for year’s to come.
Ahead of the start of Friday’s live auction, guests were able to get a taste, literally, of what they were supporting as students in the FHTC Culinary Arts Department once again provide the evening’s meal.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
