For additional information about any of the news stories listed below, please contact Rodger Boyce in the NCTC Office of Marketing & Public Relations, 1525 W. California St., Gainesville, TX 76240, telephone 940-668-4255. All material Copyright 2003, North Central Texas Community College District.

>News & Press Releases

AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUP IS OCTOBER 17

Note PHOTO at conclusion of story.

GAINESVILLE—This year’s annual “Friends of Agriculture Round-Up” at North Central Texas College is set for Saturday, October 17, and the goal remains the same—to round up funds for scholarships.

The event will get underway in the NCTC Field House (gymnasium) with a barbecue dinner to begin serving at 5 p.m. The silent auction also starts at 5 p.m. and buyers can bid on a wide variety of merchandise and services donated by area businesses and individuals.

The event’s popular live auction will start at 6 p.m. under the gavel of auctioneer Ken Pearse of WW Auction Co., of Valley View.

Admission to get into the Field House for the Round-Up is free, and the event is open to the general public.

The meal will be catered by Dieter Brothers of Lindsay and is sponsored by Richard Klement Investments.

“NCTC, our entire Agriculture Department and above all the scholarship recipients themselves sincerely appreciate each of the businesses and individuals who have donated items given money to help us raise funds for student scholarships,“ said Steve Keith, department chair.

Keith added that as of this writing, “donations are still rolling in” and that he expects more than 150 items to be offered to buyers. There will also be door prizes, and winning bidders will have their names placed in the hopper for drawings for one of the buyers’ premium prizes to be awarded.

“Just a few examples include several tons of livestock feed, dozer services, hunting and fishing trips, fencing supplies, loads of concrete and shop projects from area high school FFA chapters,” he said.

The auction catalog, containing a complete list of all live and silent auction items will be posted prior to the event on the department’s website at www.nctc.edu/agriculture.

Keith said this year’s Round-Up offers “the same high level of fun, food and entertainment” that have marked the previous events. New for this year will be the “Kidz Korral,” sponsored by First State Bank, offering a fun and safe environment for youngsters to play and have a good time.

“That’s something we want everybody who attends this event to have,” Keith said, “but it’s important to remember the cause it supports—raising scholarship money.”

For many students, he explained, the opportunity to attend college might not be available without this kind of financial assistance. It also allows these students and others to complete their degree or certificate in a shorter period of time by allowing them to take a full academic load and concentrate on their studies.

“All proceeds from this auction contribute solely to student scholarships,” Keith said. “These scholarships not only benefit the student recipients, but are also very beneficial to NCTC because they help the college attract and retain excellent students who contribute academic and social leadership on campus.”

This semester’s scholarship recipients will be assisting with the live auction and will be formally introduced just prior to its beginning.

For more information, contact the NCTC Department of Agriculture at 940-668-4217 or email: skeith@nctc.edu.
###

PHOTO:
ROUNDING UP THE BIG PICTURE—The winner of the traditional raffle at this year’s Scholarship Round-Up sponsored by the Agriculture Department at North Central Texas College will take home this giant flat-screen television donated by Martindale Feed Mills of Valley View. At right is local area MFM sales representative Kirk Chilson, and at left is Steve Keith, chair of the NCTC Agriculture Department. The event is set for the evening of October 17 at the Lions Field House on the Gainesville Campus.
###

  >News & Press Releases