This fall marks the 10th anniversary of College Bound AZ and it seemed the perfect opportunity to host the largest fundraiser yet. All the planning had been in the making for a year now.
Visions last fall of a live auction gala around the theme of a masquerade ball were anticipated. But when COVID-19 hit in the early spring, it became unclear if this vision would be realistic.
Thus, a virtual event has become the focus for this year — the UnGala, Igniting the Journey — to take the place of gathered crowds. You are cordially invited to virtually attend.
An online silent auction is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 through Thursday, Oct. 22, featuring golf packages, family experiences, a wine get-away, a paint and sip night for eight, a helicopter ride with the Mesa Police Department, and so much more.
The live auction will be opened with a virtual cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, with bidding beginning at 6:45 p.m. The auction showcases fabulous trips like Cabo San Lucas, an African Safari, and Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs, Colo. — just to name a few.
Those who want to be part of changing lives can participate in the auction by purchasing a $20 ticket at cb2020gala.givesmart.com, or by texting cb2020gala to 76278.
Much of the success of College Bound AZ is a direct result of the hard and relentless work of Elizabeth Paulus, executive director of College Bound AZ.
Unfortunately, the dream of higher education is too often crushed for deserving students. After her foreign exchange student from Brazil returned home to her country in 2009 — leaving behind a dear friend she had made in high school — Elizabeth witnessed first-hand how a senior in high school can be challenged financially to
fulfill their dream of attending college.
Elizabeth quickly observed the complex obstacles this bright young lady faced as she tried to fill out financial aid paperwork for college admission. “Not only was the language barrier complex,” said Elizabeth, “but recording the family income in the application was a real eye-opener. I learned even more as I stayed engaged throughout her first year of college.”
The lesson for Elizabeth continued with the realization that the path to college was difficult with hidden obstacles sure to derail an unsuspecting student. She found this realization troubling because of the loss of human potential. She knew that without intervention, this very bright young lady would have met failure.
Elizabeth knew that children like these deserved better. This was the turning point; she decided something needed to be done to help students in these situations.
After initially partnering with Mesa United Way and then implementing The 6-Step Critical Path (found on their website collegebound.org), the student assistance organization branched to Mesa high schools and then leveraged into Arizona State University’s Promise Program. Elizabeth, who earned her master’s degree in education leadership, together with her husband, founded College Bound AZ to assist and support low-income students wanting to attend college.
The economic downturn caused several sponsors to decline their contributions to the event this year, but other sponsors stepped in to fill the gaps. One of those contributors, local State Farm agent Matt Watson, is sharing the College Bound vision to turn dreams into degrees.
He has provided a golf package for four, compliments of The Fountain of the Sun Country Club in Mesa. This package includes lessons from a golf pro and a new golf bag. “Matt has an amazing heart for this community,” says Elizabeth. “It’s hard to express how much his generosity means.”
And further, Elizabeth could not be more grateful for the generosity of this community. “The generosity of our community to help others is just overwhelming. This October event will directly help underrepresented students get to college,” Elizabeth stated.
Proceeds from the event auction will help provide laptops and scholarships to students as well as support mentoring, hygiene kits, and food boxes to students served by College Bound AZ. Together with sponsors like Matt Watson and Affinity Technology — the official sponsor of the Igniting the Journey 2020 Ungala — you and a gathered small group of neighborhood friends can change the future for scores of youth.
Local State Farm agent and College Bound supporter, Matt Watson, will be hosting his own watch party during the live auction portion of this palooza. His partygoers will be creatively distinguishing themselves as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson during the bidding hours.
If you would like to get in on the fun and join Matt’s virtual watch party, or create a group of your own, you can do so in the online reservation process, at cb2020gala.givesmart.com, or by texting cb2020gala to 76278. For more information, visit collegebound.org.