The Foundation of Wayne Community College held its 33rd annual Invitational to raise essential funds needed to support WCC.
The event produced $171,425 for tuition scholarships and program and facility enhancements for the College. Funds came from Invitational sponsors, online and in-person auctions, golf and pickleball tournaments, a putting contest, and a 50/50 drawing.
WCC President Patty Pfeiffer thanked the donors at the live auction dinner for supporting the Foundation of WCC’s mission to provide for students. “We could not do what we do without the Foundation, and the Foundation cannot do what it does without you,” Pfeiffer said.
Gaby Rivera, a graduate of WCC, shared her story at the live auction dinner. She spoke about taking classes at WCC as a high school student through the Career and College Promise (CCP) dual-enrollment program.
The Foundation of WCC’s Bison Benefit scholarship, which provides CCP students with four semesters of free tuition to WCC once they graduate from high school, allowed Rivera to continue to earn an associate degree at WCC.
“Because of the Bison Benefit scholarship, I was able to focus on my education and be involved on campus. I did my best to give back however I could because I knew you all were doing the same,” Rivera told the donors. “You’re the reason students like me get to grow, dream, and feel like we belong.”
The Invitational was founded in 1993 by Dillon Wooten of Wooten Development Company. Since its inception, it has raised over $3 million and remains the most successful golf tournament in the North Carolina Community College System.
One hundred businesses and individuals sponsored this year’s tournament at various financial levels while others donated auction items.
This year’s event sponsors were:
Invitational Sponsor: Jackson & Sons
Pickleball Tournament Sponsor: Mt. Olive Pickle Company
Diamond Sponsors: Benton & Sons Fabrication, Georgia-Pacific, Seymour Funeral Home and Cremation Services Inc., Bonnie and Bill Hunter, and R.A. Bryan Foundation Inc.
Platinum Sponsors: Wooten Development Company, Alta Foods LLC, Atlantic Casualty Insurance Company, Southern Bank, Piedmont Natural Gas, Deacon Jones Auto Group, Jackson Builders Inc., Wayne UNC Health Care, Allen Grading Company, Beacon Roofing Supply, Ryerson, Precision Plumbing, Elevated Aesthetics, Truist, Sport Durst Mazda of Goldsboro, Seegars Fence Company, AP Exhaust Products, Moseley Architects, Franklin Baking Company LLC, Fran and Larry Boyce, Wayne Foundation, Griffin Exterminating Co., Walnut Creek Senior Player Group, and Case Farms
Gold Sponsors: Arnold Wilbert Vault, Baker Pipe & Parts LLC, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services McMillen & Associates Realty, Carol and Al Takemoto, Gail and David Jackson, First Bank, Goldsboro Builders Supply, Holiday Inn Express, Horne Moving Systems Inc., Institutional Interiors, KS Bank, Professional Data Management Inc., Sherry and Beecher Smith, Skill Creations Inc., Towne Insurance, and Wayne Realty & Insurance Co. Inc.
Silver Sponsors: AES Insulation & Services; Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, PC; Banks, Gray & Crumpler, PLLC; Beth and Jack Kannan; Bennett Johnson; Brewer Company Inc.; Carolina Family Pool & Patio; Carr, Riggs & Ingram; Cottle Strawberry Nursery Inc.; Daniels and Daniels Construction Company Inc.; Eagles Properties Inc.; First Tee Golf Shop; FundFive LLC; Goldsboro Physical Therapy & Wellness; Group W. Management; Haithcock, Barfield, Hulse & King, PLLC; Hettie and Al Grisette; Hine Sitework Inc.; Lee and Geoff Hulse; NC Farm Bureau Insurance, Steve Sutton Agent; North Carolina Community Federal Credit Union; Nunn, Brashear & Uzzell, PA; Porter Group Real Estate; Premiere Carpets; Ram-Rent-All; Samia and Joe Garner; Southeastern Medical Oncology Center; Strickland Insurance Brokers Inc.; Systel Business Equipment; Team Chevrolet; Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP; and Worrell Contracting Co. Inc.
Bronze Sponsors: Ann and Tony Hamm; Barbour Brothers; Cathy and Deepak Cuddapah; Convenient Glass; Cox-Edwards Company; Down Home Realty and Property Management Inc.; George Whitfield; Magical Vacation Planner by Ashley and Chris Stroud; NC Farm Bureau Insurance, James Kornegay Agent; Sasser Golf Cars Inc.; Smith, Adams & Pilkington Family Dentistry; Sutton’s Safety Shoes Inc.; The Mega Force Staffing Group Inc.; and Waynesboro Family Clinic
Blue Sponsors: Coca-Cola, Culligan, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, and Southco Distributing
Invitational Dinner Sponsor: Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Invitational Breakfast Sponsor: beanSweet at WCC
Invitational Lunch Sponsor: Chick-fil-A of Goldsboro
About the Foundation of WCC
The Foundation of WCC is a nonprofit organization that works to broaden the base of community support for educational opportunities at the College. It funds program and facility enhancements, provides employee recognition, offers cultural programs for the community, and awards scholarships.
About Wayne Community College
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 150 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.