The theme for the Flint Hills Technical College’s annual Gala Benefit and Auction was “Run for the Roses.” In terms of fundraising, the event put on a performance akin to Secretariat.
Friday’s event at White Auditorium generated $214,000, easily besting the prior record of $186,000 set last year. Vice President for Advancement Mike Crouch says the total was a testament to the community support for the college’s mission.
This year’s proceeds will be split amongst scholarships, program developments and campus improvements — at least those not earmarked for the Wrangler Student Relief Fund. Nearly $50,000 is going to the Student Relief Fund.
10 pm Friday:
The theme for the 23rd annual Flint Hills Technical College Gala and Auction Friday night was more fitting than one might have thought at first glance.
The theme, Run for the Roses, may be the perfect analogy for the stretch of success the college has seen in just the last month alone. In addition to kicking off its record capital campaign at the start of the month, it was also announced Friday afternoon the college has been designated an “Opportunity College and University – Higher Access, Higher Earnings” through the 2025 Carnegie Classifications through the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carengie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Vice-President of Advancement Mike Crouch tells KVOE News that given all of this success, Friday’s theme was very poetic as the recent accomplishments resulted from “a race,” he says, the college has been running for decades.
FHTC President Dr. Caron Daugherty says Friday’s gala auction was more than just a fundraiser to help continue that success; in many ways, it was a celebration for the community, which has always been in the college’s corner.
As always, the evening’s proceedings did far more than just raise important dollars for student scholarships and the FHTC Wrangler Relief fund, it also showcased students from two of the college’s departments: culinary arts, which prepared the evening’s meal, multimedia design, network technology, welding and engineering. Daugherty tells KVOE News the evening’s highlight of these students illustrates how opportunities for real-world experience are always available at the college.
Speaking of student success, as always, the college also presented the annual Distinguished Alumni award. This year’s recipient was Robert Nelson, a student at FHTC, the Flint Hills Vo-Tech, from 1976-77, who has enjoyed a four-decade career in broadcasting, broadcast engineering and technology, including time as Executive Director of Video and Engineering Services at Kansas State University, among other impressive accolades. Of receiving the honor, Nelson told KVOE News he was “blown away” and credited the work of past distinguished alumni for laying the foundation of success for himself and many others.
Fundraising totals from the gala and auction are currently pending.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE NewsÂ
