Foundation raises record-breaking amount for student scholarships at annual gala
Last week, the Seattle Central Foundation held its annual Believe gala to raise essential funds for scholarships that help students achieve their educational goals. About 350 attendees generously gave nearly $330,000, making this year’s gala the most successful ever. Some of these funds will be used for scholarships, including the Seattle Promise scholarship, which covers the full cost of tuition for any student with a 3.0 GPA, enrolls full time and demonstrates financial need. Funds raised will also support instructional programs, including student emergency assistance, faculty development grants and tutoring services.
Videos of two scholarship recipients, Mohamad Adan and Jennifer Oishi, provided powerful testimonials to the importance of scholarships in changing students’ lives. Students in the graphic design and photography programs donated art for the silent auction, Apparel Design students created cloth sleeves for wine bottles and Culinary Academy students made cakes and desserts for the annual dessert dash, which invites donors to give money to get their first choice of dessert for their table. Groups of first-year Creative Academy students also created moving videos that highlighted the importance of education and scholarships.