Fundraiser Generates Thousands for Women’s Scholarship

Guests gather at the Lovers for Learning dinner and auction in the Campus Union Building. The Chase Photo: Gabrielle Smith

The annual Lovers for Learning dinner and dessert auction took place in the Campus Union

Building at Eastern New Mexico University on Saturday, Feb. 8.

The event, presented by ENMU Women, was dedicated to raising money to support women who

are re-entering college after at least a semester’s break. The jazz music provided by the Eastern

New Mexico University Jazz Ensemble kept things upbeat as guests arrived. In order to raise

money for the scholarships, this event consisted of a live and silent dessert auction. As people

gathered and socialized, they had the opportunity to scope out the 14 live auction items and

potentially make a bid on the 15 silent auction items as well. The desserts were donated by the

community and ENMU culinary arts students.

The auction paid off, having brought in $3,278 with an added $97 in donations. This brought the

total amount raised from the night to $3,375—a decrease from last year’s $3,899. The treasurer

and the committee chair of the organization, Jessica Small, mentioned this scholarship usually

supports two students at a time and is divided between the two awarded applicants.

“Starting a scholarship program first came up in 1952 and again unsuccessfully in 1957,” said

Vee Lucas, president of ENMU Women. “It was decided by the group to continue giving excess

funds to the loan fund at that time.” She mentioned it wasn’t until 1980 that the scholarship

program was discussed again, and that the official scholarship guidelines were approved on April

18, 1981. The following year, the first scholarships were awarded to women in need of a helping

hand to further their education.

This year, the event was promoted through announcements on the radio, flyers around town, an

advertisement in the Roosevelt Review and on social media. The organization sold 80 tickets

with 77 showing up to the event, which was an increase from last year. Last year, the

organization sold 92 tickets, but only had 76 show up to the event.