Conley Underwood raises money $50 at a time. And at final tally on March 9, the Carter High School Foundation had raised more than $30,000. The money will be used for improvements to the high school campus.
The new Foundation presold 218 tickets at $50 each and had over 250 in attendance. The live auction raised $11,750 with the highest item lunch for two with UT baseball coach Tony Vitello for $2,850. There was an anonymous $5,000 donation, and the silent auction raised approximately $3,000.
State Rep. Dave Wright said, “I’ve been to a ton of these type events in Nashville, and what you all did here tonight blows them all away. This is the best event like this I’ve ever been to.”
Knoxville's Embassy Suites took on a green glow for the gala.
Head FB Coach Justin Pressley.
Defensive Coordinator Todd Helton.
Offensive assistant coach Jeremy Stout
Kent Alton, 99 McGill and Dusty Lee
Attendees at the GalaUnderwood estimated the total raised at $31,000 as more checks will come in. “Funds from this event, other donations coming in and the (upcoming) golf tournament will be used to secure a matching grant from Knox County (maximum grant available is $62,000) to refresh the campus: new signage, door wraps, sidewalk cleaning/maintenance, interior graphics, landscaping (over the summer).”
As president of the newly formed Foundation, Underwood was thrilled. “I don’t think it could have gone any better.” He cited specific people:
- The School: Carter High principal Brad Corum, assistant principal Karyn Lee and marketing teacher Kacy Helton, who brought her senior students into the fray, soliciting silent auction donations, wrapping gift baskets, decorating all day and putting together a video that will be posted to the Foundation’s Facebook page. After the event, Helton drove to Chattanooga to rejoin her students to compete in state competitions Friday and Saturday.
- Embassy Suites: General Manager Alpesh Patel, CHS class of 1997, and his staff were fantastic. He seemed genuinely excited with how everything turned out, and has already mentioned he would like to move the event to April next year, to have more daylight and a chance for better weather so we can utilize more of the outside areas and hold more people.
- Auction committee: Heather Waliga did an amazing job on the live auction. Foundation members Shelia Wolford, Joy Vaulton, Mike Andrews, Billy Shelton, Dusty Lee and Underwood gathered live and silent auction items, along with assistant principal and CHS alum Karyn Lee.
Upcoming:
- Golf Tournament at Ruggles Ferry Golf Club on June 24
- Back to School Workday in late July
- Fall community event (hopefully involving all 3 schools) centered around a home football weekend.
Underwood wrapped up: “I think once people start seeing some of the things we are going to do on the outside of the school, they will get even more excited. I’ve really tried to emphasize that our first steps need to be on the exterior, things that people who just drive by or drive up to the school can see and think, ‘Gosh, someone’s done some work around this place!’
“Technology upgrades and other things in the classroom probably have more effect, but if you’re not in the school, you never see them, so people begin wondering where the money is going. We want it to be very obvious where the first wave of money is going.
“If you were unable to make it to the gala, or missed out on the live auction item you wanted, you can go here and make a donation through the foundation website.”
Sandra Clark is editor/CEO of Knox TN Today Inc. and a $50 contributor to the CHS Foundation.