Raffle, auction, tourney to benefit schools

Apr. 19—A Blackstone griddle. A YETI cooler. A signed jersey of star Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr.

These are just a few of the sought after items available during a trio of events hosted by the Whitfield Education Foundation, which include a raffle and silent auction in conjunction with its annual golf tournament at the Dalton Golf and Country Club Monday.

Proceeds from all three events will go toward the funding of innovative teaching grants in the Whitfield County Schools system.

The golf tournament, which will consist of 48 teams made up of local business leaders and is full, will begin Monday morning at 8:30, with another round scheduled for 2 p.m. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the golf tournament in Dalton.

At 6 p.m., the foundation, in partnership with Elder's Ace Hardware of Varnell, will host a raffle drawing at the country club for a new Blackstone 36-inch griddle and YETI Tundra 65 hard cooler, with a combined value of just under $1,000.

Tickets to enter the raffle are $10 and can be purchased by visiting the foundation's account (@WEF_WCS) on the Venmo website or mobile app. Those purchasing tickets are encouraged to include their full name, email address and phone number for contact once a winner is declared.

Varnell's Ace Hardware store manager Ron Coley will serve as the "official raffle drawer," said foundation Executive Director Smitty Barnett.

"The raffle is to help fund innovative teaching grants within the Whitfield County Schools district," Barnett said. "The mission of our foundation is to support the work of Whitfield County Schools. Last year, we funded $118,000 in grants, and a lion's share of that was through our annual golf tournament and other fundraisers."

The griddle and cooler will be displayed inside the Varnell hardware store until Sunday afternoon. Barnett said everyone is encouraged to visit the location and view the items beforehand.

"We are very lucky to have Coley and Elder's Ace Hardware of Varnell in our community," said Barnett. "This is our first time working with Elder's, but we have worked with the store in years past when they were known as Jevin's Ace Hardware and owned by (Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman) Jevin Jensen. They've been a huge help in funding grants for our teachers over the years."

Following the raffle drawing, the foundation, in partnership with Calhoun-based sports and landscaping application supplier Consan USA Inc., will hold its first silent auction at 7 p.m. inside the Dalton Golf and Country Club's main hallway.

"This is new to our golf tournament and it will be centered around sports memorabilia," Barnett said. "We'll have a lot of golf items, such as paintings and framed photos, Atlanta Braves memorabilia and some University of Georgia and University of Tennessee memorabilia."

Barnett said there will be some items with local ties up for grabs during the auction as well.

"We have a couple more things that are coming that will be auctioned off, including signed memorabilia from (North Murray High School graduate and University of Georgia football standout) Ladd McConkey and Nick Chubb, who also played football for the University of Georgia," he said.

Another item up for bids is a football signed by Fred Stokes, who was part of the Super Bowl XXVI-winning Washington Redskins (now Commanders) in 1991. The story behind the autograph, Barnett said, has local roots.

"I was driving by Pleasant Grove Methodist Church (in Dalton) around Super Bowl time this past February and their sign outside said Stokes was going to be there to speak," Barnett said. "So I went to the church service and he signed the football. I thought that was kind of neat."

Individuals can bid on items in the silent auction prior to the Monday fundraiser event by visiting https://www.32auctions.com/wef-2024.

Bids can be placed online until Sunday at 11:45 p.m.

The online site, which is hosted through 32 Auctions, was created with the help of Dalton-based tech company InventureIT.

"InventureIT and owner Lee McKinney have been a big help in getting that set up," Barnett said. "We're definitely thankful for them."

Barnett said those interested in bidding in person are welcome to during the event Monday evening at the country club.

"The highest bid, whether online or live, will win the item," he said.

Winning bidders who are not part of the golf tournament on Monday are encouraged to pick their items up from Barnett or have them shipped for a $35 fee. Winners who are part of the tournament can pick their items up on-site.

Barnett said he hopes the inaugural silent auction will help raise a large amount of money for grants next year along with the raffle and golf tournament.

"We're trying to make this into a huge event and fundraiser this year," he said. "I think it will be good for us in conjunction with the golf tournament each year going forward as we raise proceeds to help fund grants."

For those interested in sending donations to the golf tournament and surrounding events, they can be made by visiting www.wefga.org and clicking on the "Donate Now!" prompt on the top righthand side.