Staff Council hosted their annual Holiday Luncheon on December 7 in Mabee Hall, bringing together the AC community for a little food, a lot of goodwill, and even a few spirited tunes from the college’s resident Band on Grand. “This year’s luncheon was a great event with strong attendance and more donations than ever before,” says Staff Council Chair Lisa Holloway.
More than 170 current and former employees attended this year’s celebration. Guests began filing down the WCC halls to purchase last-minute raffle tickets and find their seats as the band warmed up. When all plates were assuredly filled and table conversations began to liven, John Williams and company keyed up some hits to entertain the crowd.
This year’s fundraiser benefited the Denison Animal Welfare Group (DAWG) and MasterKey Ministries, a nonprofit food assistance program located in Sherman. In all, Staff Council solicited more than $1,500 and plenty of pet-friendly goodies from generous colleagues to support these important local institutions. Representatives from each organization — MasterKey founder and director Julie Rickey and DAWG volunteer Ashley Boatright — were on hand to accept the donations and discuss their impact.
Special thanks are due to Sheila Smith for directing the event committee, and Liz Washington for creating the beautiful holiday centerpieces guests enjoyed at each table, Aramark staff for providing wonderful food and service, the Band on Grand for their outstanding performance, and all of the senior leadership team for the lovely gifts donated.