When Rhythm Nation takes the stage at the annual scholarship fundraising event called An Evening for ABAC on March 2, students at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will benefit in ways they never thought possible.

The patrons at the annual ABAC Foundation-sponsored event will enjoy a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, a fabulous dinner, and superb entertainment from Rhythm Nation, a group that blends elements of popular, timeless and recognizable music genres for music lovers of all ages.

As the music winds down at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center on March 2, the student scholarship fund will grow so that freshmen can wrap themselves in the ABAC experience when they enroll in the 2018 fall semester.

“An Evening for ABAC in 2017 was the most successful in the 46 years the ABAC Foundation has sponsored the event,” ABAC Interim Vice President for External Affairs and Advancement Paul Williams said.  “We had over 500 alumni and supporters who helped us raise over $100,000 for student scholarships.”

That support has been ongoing since 1972 when the ABAC Foundation sponsored a fundraiser featuring Anita Bryant to complete the funding for the Chapel of All Faiths.  The banquet attracted 426 patrons and netted $22,612.  In 1973, Eddie Arnold came to town for another ABAC Foundation-sponsored event, and the legendary program called Dollars for Scholars was born.

The ABAC scholarship fundraiser became the social event of the year in Tift County with entertainers such as Ray Stevens, Louise Mandrell, Debbie Reynolds, Kathy Mattea, Marie Osmond, Helen Reddy, Ronnie Milsap, Lorrie Morgan, and the Temptations.

Trisha Yearwood attracted the largest crowd for the event in 2006 when over 1,800 patrons attended her show.  The ABAC Foundation changed the name of the event to An Evening for ABAC in 2008 and focused its efforts entirely on raising funds for scholarships.

Jodie Snow, Class of 2000 at ABAC and now the ABAC Foundation’s chief operating officer, knows how vital that scholarship support is to the students.

“The debt assumed by many students is staggering,” Snow said. “If ABAC students are to leave school with a minimum debt load, most will require financial assistance. The advancement office and the Foundation are crucial to maintaining affordability for an ABAC student’s education and allowing them to graduate with minimum debt.”

Tickets for An Evening for ABAC are $125 for singles, $225 for couples, and $1,500 for a reserved table which seats eight persons.  A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible. For tickets, interested persons can call (229) 391-4895.

Sponsorship levels include Presidential for $10,000 which sponsors four scholarships, Titanium for $7,500 which sponsors three scholarships, Platinum for $5,000 which sponsors two scholarships, and Gold for $2,500 which sponsors one scholarship.

Tift Regional Health System and Colquitt Regional Medical Center are already on board as Presidential sponsors for this year’s show.  Sodexo is a Titanium sponsor, and Southeastern Federal Credit Union, Synovus Trust Company-First Community Bank of Tifton, and Georgia Farm Bureau are Platinum sponsors.

Gold sponsors include South Georgia Banking Company, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, WALB-TV, Georgia Crown Distributing Company, Representative and Mrs. Austin Scott, Bob Dutton with Needmore Properties, Mr. and Mrs. James Lee Adams, AgGeorgia Farm Credit, Ardry Trading Company, Inc., Robert McLendon Farms, LLC, Georgia Power Company, AT&T of Georgia, Joe and Martha Day, Jr., and Captain D’s.