By Derrick Forsythe, Record Staff Writer
Community members flocked to the Holy Rosary School Saturday night in a showing of support for area students and educators.Approximately 240 people attended the Third Annual WISE Foundation Red and White Dinner to help raise funds for education. The event raised $31,000 prior to expenses through a dinner, silent auction and live auction. The funds will be used for scholarships for students and grants for teachers in the Warren County R-III School District.“I thought it was an outstanding evening,” said event coordinator Dale Schowe. “The community support has been tremendous and for such a good cause.”The evening began with a social hour and silent auction, followed by dinner and a live auction.The live auction, conducted by Nick Allen of Allen Auction in Hawk Point, raised $22,515. The biggest ticket item was the naming rights to the Warrenton High School gymnasium, which was purchased by the Boedeker family for $2,400. The naming rights to the high school football field sold for $1,800 to Joel Clinger of Big Joel’s Safari.
A St. Louis Cardinals fire pit built and donated by the Frank Stuermann family brought in $1,400. Stuermann has agreed to make another for the second-place bidder, doubling the contribution. Desserts donated by Carmen Schulze were also sold to begin the live auction.The WISE Foundation took over the Red and White Dinner from the Rotary Club, which had raised and donated nearly $1 million to students in the district over the course of several decades.“We’re so proud to be able to put it on and continue the tradition of what the Rotary started many years ago,” said Schowe. “We try to make it where it’s affordable and enjoyable for everyone who wants to get involved.”Schowe says the funds are open to any students or teachers within the district. Last year the WISE Foundation awarded 15 $1,000 scholarships. The funds have also gone for grants for chromebooks and field trips.“Anything that is not funded through the structure of the finances of the district, we can look at providing a grant,” said Schowe. “The amount depends on the number of students impacted.”Out of the approximately $33,000 raised during last year’s event, $13,900 of those funds were awarded to teachers through grants.The Warren County R-III WISE Foundation held its third annual benefit dinner and auction on Saturday, April 1, at Holy Rosary. The event raised scholarship money for local students. Record photo/ Derrick Forsythe.
