FISD Education Foundation Hosts Record-Breaking Voyage On The High Seas Gala

The Friendswood ISD Education Foundation (FEF) hosted its 2022 Gala, Voyage on the High Seas, Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort. The cruise-themed celebration brought together more than 510 guests and netted a record-breaking $275,000+.

The event, chaired by Tracy Hopkins, invited guests to come aboard the S.S. Legacy for an unforgettable evening rallying around the Foundation’s mission.

Upon entering the ballroom, guests were invited to visit the silent auction in the Port of Morocco or to purchase a grant in the Port of Greece which featured an interactive Parthenon display designed by the Friendswood High School Art Department.

The dining area was divided into four ports including Africa, Italy, Japan and South America and each port was beautifully decorated to highlight its destination.

The silent auction, chaired by Suzanne Banfield and Leah Direkly, achieved record-breaking success, bringing in over $48,000 in addition to nearly $5,000 raised through the pre-event Party Perk auction.

“By holding the auction 100% online this year we were able to generate a lot of pre-event excitement and bidding,” FEF Executive Director Ashley Adair said. “The format also allowed the entire community to participate and 9 of our 75 auction packages were actually won by remote bidders not attending the event.”

The live auction raised over $71,000 and featured everything from a black lab puppy to a trip to Belize to FEF’s coveted annual Face of Friendswood package. The live auction was followed by the paddle raise where guests were invited to be a part of the FISD legacy and pledged over $51,000 in donations directly to the Foundation’s Adopt-A-Grant campaign.

“I am continuously in awe of the outpouring of support from our community,” Hopkins said. “I can’t wait to see the impact this night will have on our students and educators for years to come.”

The voyage ended with live music from Plush Party Band who closed out the record-breaking night in style dressed in full cruise attire.

The tremendous success of this year’s event would not have been possible without the generous support of the Gala Committee’s first Title Sponsors, PBK Architects and Satterfield & Pontikes Construction.
“The energy and momentum generated when PBK and S&P signed on was truly a game-changer for us,” Adair said. “Their partnership encouraged our team to dream big at every opportunity!”

Top event sponsors and underwriters also included Hill Sand Company, Griffon & Griffon Enterprises, HomeTown Bank of Friendswood, Elitecare Emergency Hospital, The Hall & Yarbrough Families, Lorrie and Mike Foreman, RevIVe Med Spa, Rhame Law Firm, Texas First Bank, The Stark Family, Monument Chevrolet, Post Oak Municipal Advisors LLC, The Adair Family, Advanced Dermatology, Chara Christian Dance Academy, LeasePro, Sanjay & Durga Reddy Konda Foundation, Thad & Tina Roher and Trish & Bruce Hanks.

To learn more about FEF, visit fef.myfisd.com or contact the Foundation at AAdair@fisdk12.net or 281-996-6655.