Wesleyan hosted the biannual JOY Gala and Auction at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Buckhead on Saturday, Mar. 4. The Gala raises money through the auction for the Wesleyan Parents Club Endowment, which provides students with the opportunity to experience all that Wesleyan has to offer.
This year, multiple trips were available for auction, including a four-couple escape to Anguilla, a ski vacation to Deer Valley, and the ever-popular camping trip with Christian Life Director, Greg Lisson. In August, sophomore Davis Chapman will choose a group a friends to join him and Lisson on their excursion to the Appalachian Trail.
“It [is] a pretty straightforward trip – hike, eat, hike, eat, sleep… and then do it all over again the next day. Hopefully there will be some waterfalls to swim in, some wildlife to observe, some great conversations and maybe even some fishing,” said Lisson.
Along with the trips, some of the most successful items at the auction were “the Subaru Impreza and the Chris Cleveland experience, headmaster for the day,” said Gala Co-chair, Lisa Compton.
As the winner of “Headmaster for a Day,” sixth grader Kevin Andrews will have the opportunity to “declare an out of uniform day for [his] division, pick the lunch menu for that day, host a catered lunch with the Headmaster and a small group of classmates, host an ice cream party with his or her classmates with the Headmaster [and] will be invited to join [High School Principal Jeff] Plunk and me to crown the Homecoming King and Queen,” said Headmaster Chris Cleveland.
Perhaps the most anticipated aspect of the Gala for high school students are the junior and senior parking spots. Two students, one junior and one senior, will be able to park in front of Gilfillan for the entirety of the 2017-2018 school year. The same applies for two upperclassmen for the 2018-2019 school year.
Current sophomore Jordyn Shackford won the junior spot, and current junior Darby Carroll won the senior spot for next year. In two years, the junior parking spot will be available to freshman Matthew Chisolm; the senior spot did not have a winner.
The 2017 Wesleyan JOY Gala and Auction was a success, as “around 400 people attended, each with Wesleyan and its mission at the forefront of their mind, a warm and inviting event to fellowship together as a great community,” said Gala Co-chair Stacey Thompson.
