2nd Annual Wine & Gourmet Gala
March 16, 2008
Photos By Michael Hardenbrook,
SFCC Photography Program Student
The CCS Foundation held another fabulous evening of fine dining and outstanding wines at one of Spokane's premier restaurants, Spencer's for Steaks and Chops, on Sunday, March 16, 2008. Over $50,000 was raised for scholarships and the CCS Foundation Emerging Needs Endowment.
Students from Spokane Community College's Inland Northwest Culinary Academy worked alongside the chefs at Spencer's Restaurant to prepare a savory four course meal that was paired with top local and regional wines. Featuring "one of the most famous small wineries in the Pacific Northwest," Leonetti Cellar. Winemaker Gary Figgins was on hand at the event to comment as each wine is poured. A silent auction gave attendees the chance to take home their favorite items while supporting SCC's hospitality management department.
Contact Janice Eatherton at (509) 434-5063 or e-mail jeatherton@ccs.spokane.edu for more information regarding this event or to get your name on a mailing list for next year's event.
The Avista Center for Entrepreneurship at SCC
On November 14, approximately 150 CCS Foundation board members, college administrators, faculty, community donors and students in the Center for Entrepreneurship’s inaugural class all came together to celebrate the opening of the Avista Center for Entrepreneurship at Spokane Community College.
Attendees learned about students’ business plans, toured the Center and helped to dedicate the Gary A. Livingston Board Room. Five donors--The Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation; The Travis Garske Family; Itron, Inc; Red Lion Hotels Corporation; and Spokane Teachers Credit Union—contributed $25,000 each to name the Center’s board room in honor of CCS Chancellor Gary Livingston, who was surprised and flattered at the announcement.
Steve Helmbrecht, Itron CFO and CCS foundation board member who led the fundraising effort for the Center, applauded Avista for stepping forward with a $100,000 gift and thanked the many other entrepreneurial-minded donors who helped CCS Foundation raise a total of $307,000 for this program, far exceeding the original goal of $185,000.
Center for Entrepreneurship Donors
More information about the Center for Entrepreneurship at SCC
Aftan Spittle
2004-05 Western Wireless Scholarship Winner
Aftan Spittle has been living on her own since she was 15 years old. She dropped out of high school for two years before realizing that an education was essential if she wanted to better her life. Determined and bright, Aftan enrolled at Havermale High School and Spokane Community Colleges’ running start program concurrently. She graduated a year later as valedictorian of her class and was over halfway to earning her A.A. degree.
Though she had never considered applying for a scholarship, when she learned about CCS Foundation’s scholarship program, she decided to give it a try.
“I thought, the worst that could happen is that they’ll say ‘no,’” she said.
Instead, CCS Foundation awarded Aftan a Western Wireless Scholarship that not only made it possible to complete her associate’s degree, but opened her eyes to the potential of scholarship help for continuing her education even further.
Now, Aftan is one semester away from a political science degree at Gonzaga University and has plans to continue on to law school. Scholarship support has helped her every step of the way and she spends hours researching and applying for awards that will offset the cost of her education.
With a world of opportunity ahead of her, Aftan is excited about what her future holds, but she is also very grateful for the support she received from CCS Foundation and for the generosity of the donors who made her scholarship possible.
According to Aftan, “My foundation scholarship showed me that there is help out there and that, if I continue to do my best, anything is possible.”
Please read about the creative ways to make a gift and the specific ways your gift can make a difference.