Community college sprouts donations

ROGERS — “Plant a Seed” was an appropriate theme for the annual Northwest Arkansas Community College Foundation Scholarship Gala, held Thursday night (March 29) at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center.

Everything’s growing at the Bentonville-based community college — enrollment, programs and perhaps most importantly, private support.

Privately-funded scholarships were up by 71, or 25 percent, for students who will attend NWACC in the 2012-13 school year, Dennis Smiley, chairman of the NWACC Foundation board of directors, said proudly.

“The scholarships range from art to nursing,” he said.

It’s great news for students like gala speaker Jesse Greenhill, a full-time EMT, husband and father of two (soon to be three) who is seeking an associate of science degree. He addressed the crowd from a student’s perspective.

Board trustee Ric Clifford opened the festivities by welcoming the crowd and proposing a toast with donated Welch’s grape juice provided for all the tables.

The gala recognized an individual and two businesses with Quality of Life awards. Honorees were Tyson Foods executive vice president Buddy Wray, the Embassy Suites of Northwest Arkansas and brothers Bill and Walter Mathews, owners and operators of dozens of McDonald’s restaurants in the tri-state area under Springdale-based Mathews Management Co. Inc.

The crowd at the gala was not the best in its nine-year history — just 400 or so attended — but the event raised a record $111,500 from sponsorships, ticket sales and student-waiter tips. The amount includes about $25,000 raised in an auction-type setting for Becky’s Book Club, which the college uses to help students with the cost of textbooks.

NWACC’s Wyley Elliott and Meredith Brunen served as last-minute emcees when KNWA anchor Neile Jones had to cancel last minute due to illness.