Benedictine College will hold its 39th annual Scholarship Ball on February 27 in the Century Ballroom at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. Alumni, friends of the college and a select group of students will come together for an evening which will include Mass, dinner, entertainment, dancing to the music of the Michael Beers Band, awards and speeches.
“The president will give his State of the College address,” said Sue Durkin, special assistant to President Stephen Minnis for events.
A live auction will follow the address.
After performances by members of the Benedictine College dance team, the college’s Chamber Singers and jazz band, student Brandon Boesch will speak to the attendees about how he has benefited from scholarships like those funded by the proceeds from the Scholarship Ball.
New this year will feature the Benedictine Boutique which will offer unique Benedictine-related items.
This year, the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict will be awarded at the ball to Jim and Katie O’Brien of Leawood, Kan. and Darryl Jones of North Richland Hills, Texas. Both O’Brien and Jones are Benedictine alumni.
“This year’s honorees have exhibited tremendous support for charities, plenty of leadership and business expertise, and true inspiration,” said Steve Johnson, director of marketing and communications.
O’Brien is a 1960 graduate and a successful businessman who played football as a student athlete at then-St. Benedict’s College. He has worked in the pharmaceutical industry and has founded two companies.
Katie O’Brien, a former school teacher, is active in her community donating her time and energy to De La Salle Education Center, Nativity Parish and the Front Porch Alliance.
Jones is associated with State Farm Insurance and joined the college’s board of directors in 2004. During his time at the college, he was both a student leader and a basketball standout, said Johnson.
The NAIA recognized him as a four-time All-American, inducted him into its Hall of Fame, and included him as a member of the 50th Anniversary NAIA All-Star Team.
About 600 guests are expected to attend the annual event. Also in attendance will be several students hand-picked by Minnis, said Durkin.
Aside from participating in the festivities and acting as volunteers for the evening, attending the ball can become a defining moment for students, said Kelly Vowels, vice president for advancement.
According to Vowels, last year a student seated at a table during the Fund-A-Raven auction was overcome with emotion when one of the attendees raised his bid card to bid $10,000 for the scholarship fund. Later, when the bidding had come down to $100, the student, caught up in the moment, raised her bid card to donate to the fund.
“For the students to witness the generosity of the alumni gathered in the room, for some, it’s a defining moment,” Vowels said. “They get to feel the love of the greater Benedictine community."
The Fund-A-Raven auction, according to Vowels, always raises a significant amount of funds for scholarships.
Last year, the ball raised a total of $425,000. Of that amount, $217,000 came from the Fund-a-Raven auction. Vowels hopes this year’s ball tops those numbers.
