Hilltopics E-Zine - Barton County Community College

Hilltopics E-Zine
Barton County Community College
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‘Sailing for Scholarships’ – Dressed in keeping with the nautical theme, Darnell Holopirek, Barton’s Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, welcomes participants and thanks them for their support of the BCCC Foundation’s 27th annual Big Benefit Auction to benefit academic scholarships.

For more information, contact Darnell Holopirek, 620-792-9367.

September 27, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story by: Linda Dueser

BCCC Foundation’s Big Benefit Auction Sails With Success

The Barton County Community College Foundation went sailing and came back with a bounty of funding for Barton’s 2006-07 scholarships. The Big Benefit Auction with the theme “Sailing for Scholarships” set sail Sept. 10 at the Highland Hotel and Convention Center.Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Darnell Holopirek was happy to see the net balance of $41,460, once the totals were finalized. “We are more than pleased with the results of the auction, both from a financial standpoint and with the community support,” she said.

This year’s auction brought out 40 more attendees than the 2004 event, Holopirek said. “And they came with the right mindset – they wanted to have fun with a generous attitude,” she added.

“We had several compliments coming from our regular attendees and the newcomers. The group loved the silent and live auction concept, good food, including the fancy dessert, and even the social time for visiting with their friends and business associates.”

‘Sundown’ – Gus Shafer’s bronze sculpture, “Sundown,” brought the highest bid at the BCCC Foundation Big Benefit Auction. No. 10 in a series of 15, the Shafer bronze brought $6,000 for academic scholarship funding at Barton.

This year, donations for the old buffalo head known as “Old Bill” honored Don and Phyllis Whelan for their support of the College from its beginning. The total raised was $4,580, which goes directly to Barton academic scholarships.

“T.R. Esfeld did a great job as auctioneer and we had outstanding donations (of auction items) this year. You could tell it by the amount each item brought,” Holopirek said.

The single item bringing the highest bid in the live auction was the Gus Shafer bronze, “Sundown,” which brought $6,000. The sculpture is No. 10 of 15 in the series by the artist in whose honor Barton’s Shafer Gallery was named.

“We truly appreciate everyone who helped make this event so successful. That is, the board of directors, volunteers, donors, and then the buyers,” Holopirek said.

“We just keep trying to improve each year so more people will be willing to get involved and help us meet the mission of the Foundation.”