Rotary 'Fun For Funds' Garners Over $33,000 in Support, Thank You to Supporters

March 26, 2015 - The 2015 Center Rotary Club 'Fun For Funds' fundraising event for the Catherine Pinkston Roughrider Scholarship Foundation was held at the John D. Windham Civic Center on Tuesday night March 24. The preliminary results are in and indicate at the close of the online auction the event brought in $33,350 for Center students.

For four hours Rotarians worked the phones, commentated on the internet, television, and radio to raise funds to help further the educations of those students worthy of receiving the benefit.

At the end of the night, the highest bid item was the Queen of the Sabine Cruse donated by Pineywoods Seafood which went for $1,610 bid by Will Lucas. The item bringing in the second highest dollar amount was an Axis Doe Hunt donated by Venado Creek Ranch which brought in $1,400 and was won by Richard Fausett.

A special item in the auction was a Cotton Bowl Package which was a college football playoff game and was donated by Blake and Eve (Andrews) Wiley in memory of Eve's dad and former teacher at Center ISD, Doug Andrews. The Cotton Bowl Package raised $500 in memory of Mr. Andrews and was won by Howell Howard. All the auction items together raised over $14,000 of the total amount raised. (Winning bidders list)

Rotary Club President J.J. Ford expressed appreciation of those who helped make the event a success, "Every year the Fun for Funds event relies on the generosity of businesses and residents who donate items for the auction. It was a nerve racking event for me because I feel it is an important fundraiser. Center ISD students are blessed to have this resource, the Catherine Pinkston Scholarship Foundation, and I am glad I had the opportunity to play a small part in helping to raise more scholarship money for the foundation."

Ford continued, "I don't think we can ever stop raising money for this great cause. As our population grows and the cost of a college education continues to rise, graduating students and their parents have the financial burden immediately put upon them. It is important we have the funds and such a wonderful thing to know that graduating students can turn to the scholarship foundation for assistance."

Roughrider Scholarship Foundation has presented 1,544 scholarships totaling $1,213,800 to graduating CHS students and is funded by donations, not just from Rotary, but from the community.

Businesses, individuals, and others who donated items to the auction were Monco Motor Company, SFA University, Center ISD, Blake and Eve (Andrews) Wiley, Frank Parker, Bill and Pam (Parker) Wall, Rick Campbell, Bob Reeves, Fairchild Price Haley & Smith, Campbell Portable Buildings, Venado Creek Ranch, Pineywoods Seafood, Pineywoods Beverage, All Hours Fitness, General Shelters, McAdams Propane Company, Back Country Furniture Designs, Tyson Foods, Epic Fit (Whitney Scarber), Sassy Red's Bakery, Darrell's Bar-B-Que, Sombrero's Mexican Grill & Cantina, Shelby County Today, East Texas Poultry Supply, Specter Inc., ACE Hardware of East Texas, db Metal Art (Delbert Beckham), Covington Lumber Company, Dr. Dixon Golden, All American Fireworks, Portacool, Light and Champion, Panola College, State Farm Insurance (Sandy Wheeler), East Texas Tilapia, Few Ready Mix, Dr. Keith Miller, Andres Chavez & Sons Landscaping & Mowing, Center Fixtures, Self Defense America, and Center Fire Department. Others who donated items or time for the event was Center Noon Lion's Club, Jason Fulbright, Rick Thompson, Greg Stuever, Tommy Hughes, Lisa McAdams, Pam Howard, Brookshire Brothers, and Chief Imaging.

Even though the auction is over, if you would like to make a monetary donation in honor of someone or in memory of someone, it's not to late. Go to www.funforfunds.org and click on 'Monetary Donation'. Or you can contact J.J. Ford, Rotary Club President, at rotaryclub.center@gmail.com with your donation request.

Monetary donations made during 2015 Fun for Funds
Shelby Savings Bank - $5,000; Farmers State Bank - $3,000; Center Lions Club - $3,000; Janie Cuculic (In memory of Gail Cuculic) - $2,250; AEP SWEPCO - $1,000; Bill "Scooter" and Pam (Parker) Wall (In memory of F.E. & Doris Parker) - $1,000; John Black Insurance - $550; Sabine State Bank - $500; Jerry & Barbara Pinkston - $500; Sharon Nelson & Steve Oates (In memory of Dr. Joe B Hooker) - $250; Doyle, Billie & Selina Luman (In memory of Greg Luman) - $200; Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative - $100; Bound's Insurance - $100; Hardy's Machine & Welding - $100; Mettauer Insurance - $100; Montie Jones Insurance - $100; Paul Pustka / Farm Bureau - $100; Danny & Andy Foster (In honor of all Center Graduates who have crossed the threshold of Center ISD) - $100; Cline Family Medicine - $100; Axley & Rode - $100; Bobbie Nutt (In memory of Charles Nutt) - $100; Eileen Beard - $100; Richard Fausett - $100; Morrison Insurance - $50; Casey Williams / Edward Jones - $50; Gary Rholes (In memory of John Mitchell. Rholes will match up to $50 for any other donations in Mitchell's memory) - $50; Gary Rholes (In honor of Judge Charles Mitchell. Rholes will match up to $50 for any other donations in Mitchell's honor) - $50; Stephen Shires (In honor of Charles Mitchell) - $50; Rick Campbell (In honor of Charles Mitchell) - $50; Wendell Johnson (In memory of Gene Fields) - $50; Wendell Johnson (In Memory of Jack Bell) - $50; Bob Reeves - $50; Rick Campbell - $50; Bob Reeves (In honor of Judy Bowers) - $50; Gary Rholes (In honor of Judy Bowers) - $50; Rick Campbell (In honor of Judy Bowers) - $50; Gary Rholes (In honor of Portia Gaines) - $50; Rick Campbell (In honor of Portia Gaines) - $50; Robbie Williams / A1 Bail Bonds (Challenges all other bondsmen) - $25.