Cool temps, warm food greet guests at 2018 Denim & Dining fundraiser
Chilly temperatures Saturday night didn’t keep hundreds of people from showing up at the third annual Denim & Dining fundraiser for the Hoover City Schools Foundation.
But the cool night air did keep most of the people off the outdoor patio and inside the banquet room at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
A final crowd count was not available Saturday night, but foundation Executive Director Janet Turner said she knew more than 250 people had bought tickets for the event. That’s about how many people came last year.
“It feels much bigger than last year,” Turner said. She wasn’t sure if that was because fewer people were on the outdoor patio, but the energy in the banquet room was better this year, she said.
The people who attended were treated to a dinner that included barbecue chicken, pulled pork, baked and sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans. There also was a dessert station and drink stations, including beer and wine.
Attendees also had the chance to bid on 85 silent auction items, including a framed University of Alabama football jersey autographed by former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron.
Other auction items included Apple watches, a life-size Homer Simpson, a basket full of goodies from Southern Living, four one-day passes to the SEC Baseball Tournament, a one-year family membership to the Hoover Recreation Center, a summer pool membership to The Club at Lake Cyrus, an opportunity to get a handpainted portrait of your pet, rounds of golf at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa or Greystone Country Club, an ice cream party from The Whole Scoop, gift certificates to numerous restaurants, and trips to places such as Antigua, Panama, St. Lucia, Barbados and Palm Island.
Entertainment for the night included a five-piece jazz band from Hoover High School, a band led by Simmons Middle School teacher Robert Abernathy, and solo performances by Hoover High students Jordan Beam and Brandon Harwell.
Bradley and Kimberlee Johnson of Greystone were among tonight’s guests. Bradley Johnson, a 1999 Hoover High graduate, said they came because they have a 6-year-old at Greystone Elementary and a 4-year-old who will be going there in the future, and they want to invest in the future of the Hoover school system.
They want to financially support the school system beyond what they are currently paying with their tax dollars, and contributions to the Hoover City Schools Foundation are a good way to do that, he said.
Two of the primary functions of the foundation are to provide grants to teachers for innovative projects and to connect Hoover schools with the business community.
“I think it gives our kids more of a competitive edge,” Johnson said.
He and his wife said they enjoyed the food and entertainment at the Denim & Dining event and bid on some of the auction items, including tickets to see “Annie” at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
“I hope they raise a whole bunch of money,” Johnson said.
The first Denim & Dining event two years ago raised about $16,000, while last year’s event netted about $31,000, Turner said. It may take a little time to know how much this year’s event netted, but she feels good about it, she said.
Find out more about the Hoover City Schools Foundation on the group’s website.