‘All it takes is one spark to initiate great things, and as a community, we hope to help our young adults recognize that moment when it happens’, said Martha Compton, Director of Florida Panhandle Technical College as she kicked off the Annual Kiwanis Fundraiser Dinner on Tuesday evening, September 10, 2019 in Chipley, Florida.
Here’s a look back to 5 years ago, as around one hundred attendees, including sponsors, guests and Kiwanis members, enjoyed a dinner served by the Vernon, Florida ROTC as they enjoyed entertainment furnished by local guitarist Randy Brown and Bonifay’s own American Idol contestant Paisley Howell.
The theme of the evening, hosted by Florida Panhandle Technical College, was ‘Spark’, and welders from the FPTC Welding Program started the evening off with a dazzling display of just that- sparks- on a dimly-lit stage, which immediately captured the attention of the audience.
‘We promise to get you out of here this evening in one hour’, said Master of Ceremonies Paul Goulding, an Instructor at FPTC, ‘with a great meal, some world-class entertainment and the opportunity to give back to the community’.
The house at the Washington County Ag Center was packed with sponsors, guests and Kiwanis members as Goulding presented the winner of the ‘Kiwanian of the Year’ award to Dell Corbin, whose late mother Zenna was also recognized for her long-time support of Kiwanis and other community causes.
American Idol competitor Paisley Howell dazzled the crowd with her guitar and vocal performance, and she announced that she will soon be recording a CD of her music in the Audio Production Department of Florida Panhandle Technical College.
‘I have been blessed to make it through several levels of competition and on Tuesday I travel to the next America Idol elimination round, and I thank my family and friends for all their support’, said Paisley at the dinner.
The evening incurred almost no costs for decorating, setup, entertainment, PA system or any other infrastructure, thanks to the hard work of the staff of Florida Panhandle Technical College, and all proceeds from the event go directly to local children and students, under the auspices of the Chipley Kiwanis Club.
Fire Chief Floyd Aycock and his staff from the Chipley Fire Department did the cooking for the evening event, while FPTC staffers spent the day creating table settings, decorating, printing programs and coordinating the event.
‘Students from our Audio Production Program designed and set up our sound system this evening’, said Goulding, ‘and I could not be more proud of their participation’.
‘From college scholarships and Scouting sponsorships to “Project Graduation” and donations of books to the local libraries, the objectives of the Kiwanis Club are constant- 100% of all funds raised by the Kiwanians is returned to the local community, supporting local youth activities’, said Kiwanian of the Year Dell Corbin, ‘and I am proud to be a part of that effort’.
To learn more about the Chipley Kiwanis Club, which meets on the campus of Florida Panhandle Technical College at Noon each Tuesday in Patillo’s Restaurant, stop by the luncheon and find out why you should be a part of this noble effort.
