Marking its fifth anniversary, First Odessa Christian School will host its Mane Event Gala at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the commons area of the school.
The event will feature a live and silent auction, the Mojo Black Cat Jazz Band, a coffee bar from Complex Community Federal Credit Union and dessert underwritten by The Sewell Family of Companies.
There are a limited number of tickets left. Visit tinyurl.com/2s4zpmbr
Organizers Erin Berridge, Christi Harris and Sherry Adams said the event is a fundraiser that will help with school wide and classroom enrichment.
Harris said it’s a way to introduce the community to the school whose mascot is the Lions.
“It’s going to be a really fun night. We’re calling it an evening of jazz because a jazz band is going to be playing throughout the night,” she added.
As of April 8, Berridge said 208 people were expected.
Some of the silent auction items are Devoted Grinds Coffee for a year. Devoted Grinds is a brand-new super popular coffee shop in the Lawndale area that got started at farmers’ markets and has grown, Berridge said.
Teachers and their students have created baskets with gift cards, movie popcorn and blankets, hair products, lunches with teachers, a Possum Kingdom Airbnb and more, Adams said.
For the live auction, they have a Smoky Mountain getaway that’s five days and four nights at a home in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., that is a brand-new build.
“It’s right on the river, so I think that’s a really fun one. We also have a bow fishing trip for three people and a stay at the Golden Nugget Hotel. It’s in Lake Charles, La. It’s kind of fishing and hunting combined because you actually hunt the fish with bows and arrows and it’s a guided trip. The company that’s doing it is called Down South Bow Fishing,” Berridge said.
“Another one I think will be really popular is what we’re calling our Texas Tech fan package. That one includes two tickets to the Baylor vs. Tech football game in October and then we have four tickets to a basketball game of your choice, a two-night stay at the Cotton Court Hotel, which is a really fun, new, hip hotel in Lubbock. That also includes food, so we’ve got some vouchers to Evie Mae’s Pit Barbecue and also a place called Dirk’s Chicken. They are both only in Lubbock, so I think that’s a really fun item. We have a gun. We have knives that our pastor makes, so he’s actually auctioning off a custom-made knife. We have a condo that’s in Tulum, Mexico. It’s really fantastic, too. It’s brand new and it’s an exclusive VIP beach club right on the beach and the water is just gorgeous,” she added.
There will also be a World War II trainer flight.
Another item that should bring a lot of interest is a Smoothie run with music teacher Bryan Wurster, who also owns Smoothie King.
“He’s a celebrity at our school,” Berridge said.
Wurster will take six people to get a 20 ounce Smoothie of their choice.
“There’s a lot of excellent, excellent stuff. I’m super excited about it,” Berridge said.
Adams said the auctions include some different, original items that they haven’t had before and things she hasn’t seen at other auctions either.
Berridge is bringing in auctioneer Clay Golden from the Lubbock area.
“I’ve used him for a couple of other events that I’ve helped with, but he’s just super professional. He does this all the time. He’s coming in to help us out and I know that he’s won some awards. … He’s a fantastic auctioneer. He brings a lot of energy to the room,” she said.
