MyMcMurray Portal

It’s not every day that a certified multiplatinum, Grammy and Billboard award winning musician, actor, author, philanthropist and former teen star comes to town, but this November, the Keyano College Foundation will be taking its annual gala to a whole new level.

Gala Discovery will be headlined by none other than LeAnn Rimes, one of the best known country-pop artists in the world.

“The outstanding LeAnn Rimes,” gushed Cindy Amerongen, vice president of community relations at Keyano College, shortly after the theme and entertainment announcement was made. “How are you going to top that? I have no idea. She’s had an outstanding career. I don’t think there’s going to be a song up there that you won’t be able to sing to and I predict dancing all night long at the gala.”

The discovery theme stems from the foundation’s saying of the year, “Explore the possibilities and discover the opportunities.”

“We did our Explorer Golf Tournament and we’re going forward with Gala Discovery. It’s a discovery of a new world, new opportunities and new possibilities,” said Amerongen. “It’s got an elegance of the old world; a feeling that you’re travelling somewhere. You’re going to see that in the decorations, in the way we do the lighting.”

Last year, after expenses, the foundation raised upwards of $500,000 through gala donations, sponsors and the auction — a number Amerongen says she’d love to see raised again this year.

“You always want to meet, at least, your last year’s target,” said Amerongen. “We were amazed to reach that target last year, and it’s the generosity of the people who come to the event and purchase the live auction items that take us to the next level. I hope we can do that $500,000 again, and you start to think of all the things you can do with that and you don’t want to go backwards.”

The funds will go towards scholarships, awards, program support and facilities, explained Amerongen.

“We are working towards the trades and research centre that we’re building, so we’re setting aside funds for that – just like we did the Fort Chipewyan campus. We also have several other capital projects that are in various stages of development. The first thing we do though is pay for our awards. The foundation sponsors almost $30,000 in awards, so that’s the first thing we do.”

The foundation is seeking sponsors for the Nov. 3 gala and 1,200 public tickets will go on sale at the end of September. For more information, visit keyano.ca/gala.

amanda.richardson@sunmedia.ca

 Courtesy of www.fortmcmurraytoday.com

Published August 22, 2012