CALLAWAY – Nearly 200 people gathered at the Callaway Community Center on Saturday evening, Feb. 10, for an evening of fun, great food, and a good cause.
The annual Callaway Community Foundation Gala is a fun event featuring a social hour, supper, silent auction, and live auction designed to ‘Celebrate the Old and the New’. The theme for this year’s event was “Maroon & Gold Gala” which incorporated that idea by
including several “vintage” Callaway Bears items.
Foundation Gala live auction Saturday night. The plane was one of nearly 60 live auction items available
for purchase. (Courier photo by Ellen Mortensen)
Both the silent and live auctions included items representing the Bears, such as “gently used” Callaway Bears sweatshirts, hoodies, and T-shirts. Those items generated some rather radical bidding during the live auction and a whole lot of fun and laughter.
Each year the Foundation selects an entity or project to support with the proceeds from the Gala. This year that project is the new swimming pool. Pool committee chair Lawrence Paulsen presented a brief update to the large crowd on hand regarding the progress of the pool. He shared that Economic Developer Amber Harrison has managed to secure a significant amount of grant money for the project and she currently has several grant applications pending approval.
vintage Callaway Bears jacket Saturday night. Here he takes a few
minutes to look over some of the auction items up for bid.
Palsen said construction on the pool is on track to be open by June 1. One of the live auction items at the Gala was “First in the pool” which entitled the winning bidder and their family the opportunity to jump in the pool first on opening day, as well as a pool bag, four towels, sunscreen, and some pool toys.
The live auction included 58 fantastic items, while the silent auction featured another 60 items. Thanks to the generosity of the many donors, and the buyers,
the evening was a huge success for the Foundation. The final numbers of just how much was raised are still being tabulated. The Foundation wants to thank everyone who helped make the Gala so successful.
