The Foundation of Wayne Community College’s 34th annual Invitational generated the highest fundraising total in the event’s history.
This year’s Invitational produced $209,739 for student scholarships and program and facility enhancements for the College. Funds came from golf and pickleball tournaments, Invitational sponsors, silent and live auctions, and a 50/50 drawing.
Jacqueline Kannan, executive director of the Foundation of WCC, thanked college employees and leaders, the Invitational committee, volunteers, and donors during the dinner and live auction held at Walnut Creek Country Club.
“For decades, this Invitational has helped raise critical support for Wayne Community College, and we could not do it without you,” Kannan said to the supporters. “You might not see all the lives that you are changing, but you are making a real difference.”
WCC graduates Michael Lane and Joshua Williams also spoke at the dinner and live auction, allowing donors to hear directly from two individuals whose lives have been impacted by their generosity.
Lane said he always wanted to become an engineer, but the cost of college made his dream feel out of reach.
When Lane learned that he was eligible to receive the Foundation of WCC’s Bison Benefit Scholarship, which provides dual-enrolled high school students with four semesters of free tuition to WCC once they graduate from high school, he decided to attend WCC, a decision he is proud to have made.
Lane graduated from WCC with an Associate in Science degree and was recently named a Goodnight Transfer Scholar, receiving a full-tuition scholarship to North Carolina State University, where he will study electrical engineering. “You all have made my future possible,” Lane said to the donors.
Williams worked as a truck driver until a trucking accident caused him to reevaluate his plans, leading him to WCC. “Wayne Community College became the starting point of a dream I didn’t know was possible,” he said. “It was there that I discovered my passion for engineering and began building my future.”
Williams said the Foundation of WCC made a “life-changing difference” for him through its financial support. He graduated from WCC, attended East Carolina University, and now works as an electrical engineer.
“When I received a scholarship, I didn’t just receive financial assistance; I received a vote of confidence from someone who believed my future was worth investing in,” Williams told the donors. “Thank you for believing in my education.”
The Invitational was founded in 1993 by Dillon Wooten of Wooten Development Company. It remains the most successful golf tournament in the North Carolina Community College System.
Over 100 businesses and individuals sponsored this year’s tournament at various financial levels, and others donated auction items.
This year’s event sponsors were:
Invitational Sponsor: Jackson & Sons
Pickleball Tournament Sponsor: Mt. Olive Pickle Company
Diamond Sponsors: Seymour Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Inc.; Georgia-Pacific; Bonnie and Bill Hunter; and R. A. Bryan Foundation, Inc.
Platinum Sponsors: Wooten Development Company; Ernie Everett Site Prep & Demolition Excavating Contractors; Atlantic Casualty Insurance Company; Southern Bank; Piedmont Natural Gas; Alta Foods LLC; QXO; Deacon Jones Auto Group; Allen Grading Company; Sam’s Club; Ryerson; Precision Plumbing; Worrell Contracting Co., Inc; UNC Health Wayne; LJ Electrical Co.; Jackson Builders Inc.; AP Exhaust Products; KS Bank; Sport Durst Mazda of Goldsboro; Seegars Fence Company; Richards Building Supply; Franklin Baking Company, LLC; Griffin Exterminating Co.; Case Farms Chicken; Elevated Aesthetics; Beth and Jack Kannan; Fran and Larry Boyce; Wayne Foundation; and Walnut Creek Sr. Player Group
Gold Sponsors: Al and Carol Takemoto; Arnold Wilbert Vault; Baker Pipe & Parts, LLC; Beecher and Sherry Smith; Berkshire Hathaway Home Services McMillen & Associates Realty; Bridgestone; EJ Pope Foundation; Goshen Engineering; Holiday Inn; Horne Moving Systems, Inc.; Institutional Interiors; John and Estelle Jennings; Kennedy Electrical Service; Professional Data Management, Inc.; Sentry Insurance; Skill Creations; Steve Sutton – Farm Bureau Ins.; The Borden Fund; Towne Insurance; and Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC
Silver Sponsors: Big Kahuna Builders, Inc., Big Kahuna Pools & Spas; AES Insulation & Services; Al and Hettie Grisette; Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, PC; Bennett Johnson; Builders Discount Supply; Convenient Glass Service, Inc.; Cottle Strawberry Nursery, Inc.; Daniels and Daniels Construction Company, Inc.; Dr. Patty Pfeiffer; Eagles Properties, Inc.; First Tee Golf Shop; FundFive LLC; Goldsboro Builders Supply; Heather Holder – Allstate Insurance; Hine Sitework; Home Team Restoration; JAM; Joe and Sami Garner; Landscape Design; Murray Moyer PLLC; NC Community Credit Union; Neighborhood Walmart Hwy 70 E; Nunn, Brashear & Uzzell, PA; Porter Real Estate Group; Premier Carpets; Ram Rent-All; Southeastern Medical Oncology Center; Southco Distributing Co.; Strickland Insurance Brokers, Inc.; Systel Business Equipment; Team Chevrolet Goldsboro; Tom and Susan Brown; Tony and Anne Hamm; Toyota of Goldsboro; Walmart Supercenter #1236 (Spence); and Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLC
Bronze Sponsors: Geoff Hulse; Barbour Brothers; Brewer Company; Brock Contracting; Coastal Agro Business, Inc.; Cox-Edwards Construction Co.; Crawford-Henderson Insurance; Daniels Furniture; Down Home Realty and Property Management, Inc.; George Whitfield; Haithcock, Barfield, Hulse, King; James Kornegay – Farm Bureau; JP Jones Inc.; Magical Vacation Planners – Ashley Stroud; MotionWorks; Sasser Golf Cars, Inc.; Steve and Kathy Lies; Sutton Safety Shoes; Waynesboro Family Clinic; and B & R Septic
Invitational Dinner Sponsor: Janney Montgomery Scott Parks-Daniels Wealth Advisory Group
Invitational Dessert Sponsors: beanSweet at WCC, Farmer and the Dail, Katie Holloman, Kim Boswell, Robin Potter, Pat Sasser, Katrina Lee, and Debbie Anderson
Invitational Lunch Sponsor: Chick-fil-A of Goldsboro
Invitational Beverage Sponsors: Culligan and Pepsi
Invitational Snack Sponsor: Southco Distributing Company
Pickleball Tournament Lunch Sponsor: Zaxbys
Pickleball Tournament Court Sponsors: Affordable Energy Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Home Services McMillen & Associates Realty; Janet Cottle; Eagles Group Real Estate Team, REMAX; Smith, Adams, and Pilkington Family Dentistry; and Wayne Realty & Insurance Co., Inc.
Pickleball Tournament Swag Sponsor: Jane K. Chadwick, DDS, MS, Periodontics and Implant Dentistry
About the Foundation of WCC
The Foundation of WCC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the students, faculty, staff, and programs of the College. Through scholarships, equipment funding, and unique learning opportunities, the Foundation connects community donors with the College to enhance educational experiences. Governed by a 25-member board, the Foundation relies on private contributions to bridge financial gaps and ensure students have the resources they need to succeed.
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.