Fine food and quality entertainment have always been a part of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College event called An Evening for ABAC.  But the patrons and sponsors of the event know their contributions serve a much greater cause when it comes to ABAC student scholarships.

“Receiving this scholarship meant the world to me,” Taylor Kight, a freshman nursing major from Moultrie, said.  “It helped tremendously when it came time to pay for my books, and it will also help me in years to come.”

Kight received the Colquitt Regional Medical Center Scholarship this year.  Colquitt Regional was a $5,000 Platinum Sponsor of An Evening for ABAC in 2017.  Noah Pierzchajlo, a freshman biology major from Tifton, also received the Colquitt Regional scholarship.

“This scholarship is an incredible way to recognize my work as a student while freeing me up financially to become an even better student,” Pierzchajlo said.  “My entire family is grateful since I plan to be in school another eight to 10 years.”

“We are proud to support student scholarships at ABAC,” said Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney.  “One of our greatest challenges as a healthcare organization is ensuring that we have a solid and capable workforce.

“ABAC does an exceptional job of not only educating these students in the classroom but also providing them with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the workplace.  Supporting the education of Taylor and Noah is a great investment for us.  We hope to see these students as part of our staff one day.”

The ABAC Foundation raised over $100,000 for student scholarships at An Evening for ABAC in 2017.  It marked the most successful night for student scholarships since the event began in 1972 with the purpose of completing the funding for the Chapel of All Faiths.  The event became known as Dollars for Scholars in 1973.  In 2008, the name was changed to An Evening for ABAC.

ABAC Director of Advancement Deidre Martin said sponsorship levels for the 2018 version of An Evening for ABAC on March 2, 2018 are Presidential $10,000, Titanium $7,500, Platinum $5,000, Gold $2,500, and Reserved Table $1,500.

“These sponsorships allow students such as Taylor and Noah the opportunity to pursue their educational dreams,” Martin said.  “We set a record in 2017, and we want to break that record in 2018.”