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Dinner tickets on sale now at local banks, school admin office

BELLE—The vision is a scholarship for every college-bound graduating senior in 2025, and the Maries County R-II Schools Foundation Committee is planning its sixth annual fund-raiser to move closer to that goal.

A fish fry and live auction is planned March 7 at the Belle Community Center.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. The buffet dinner will be served from 5:00-6:45 with the live auction beginning at 7 p.m.  Dinner will be fried catfish, potato casserole, baked beans, hush puppies and cole slaw. Advance tickets are $15 per person and are required for dinner. A table can be reserved by purchasing eight tickets for $120.

The foundation will receive all proceeds from the dinner and live auction.

The live auction will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature a variety of baked goods, gift baskets, collectibles, services, and new and gently used items, donated by businesses and community members.

Donations are now being accepted for the live auction. To make a donation, please contact one of the foundation volunteers: President Jan Sassmann, Vice President Hollis Sturdy, Secretary Tasha Busch, Treasurer Vicki Nelson, Steve Vogt, Mark McClane, Chris Feeler, Craig Thierry, Bruce Shanks and Bonnie Prigge.

Persons wishing to attend only the auction should arrive at 6:45 p.m.

A popular donation will be auctioned again this year as Mark McClane is donating a one- week stay at The Driftwood Resort, Unit 215-B, Vero Beach, FL. for the week of June 20-27, 2020.  http://www.verobeachdriftwood.com    For more details, contact Mark McClane, 949-296-5640

The Maries County R-II Schools Foundation is part of the Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF), and its scholarship fund is managed by Community Foundation of the Ozarks, of which MRCF is an affiliate. With an endowed scholarship, a portion of the interest earned on those funds provides scholarships for graduating seniors with the principal remaining intact. The school foundation committee has raised about $80,000 for its community scholarship fund through its past fundraisers and donations. Belle alumni have also established scholarships for graduating Belle seniors, including sizeable donations by Mike Party, a 1974 Belle alumni who now resides in Texas, the late Ted and Edna Loeffler, the late Fred Schierloh, and Carolyn Holt. Endowed scholarships total more than $1.5 Million and generate about $38,000 in scholarships.

Applications for local scholarships are now available from Belle High School Counselor Chris Feeler. Additional scholarship opportunities are available online at cfozarks.org.

In late March, the foundation committee will be reviewing scholarship applications and selecting recipients for the class of 2020. The group already expects there will be more requests than there are scholarships, all the more reason for the annual fundraiser.

The Maries County R-II Schools Foundation is responsible for selecting the recipients of the Kaeding-Winter Scholarship, Belle Lions Club Scholarship in memory of David R. Sassmann, the Mae, Grace and George Bacon Scholarship, the Ruth and Gene Ridenhour MD Scholarships, Alan D. and Yvonne L. Skouby Scholarship, the Maries R-2 PTO Scholarship, the Party/Butler Scholarship, the Ted and Edna Leffler Scholarship, the Schierloh Family Scholarship and the Carolyn Hold Education Fund. These are all scholarships established by families and organizations exclusively for Maries County R-II graduating seniors.

Anyone interested in establishing a scholarship in memory of a loved one or wanting to leave part of their estate as a scholarship can contact any board member, or Bonnie Prigge or Maria Bancroft at Meramec Regional Planning Commission/Meramec Regional Community Foundation at 573-265-2993 or by email at bprigge@meramecregion.org or mbancroft@meramecregion.org.