11th Annual Fire and Ice Gala raises thousands for needs-based scholarships

by Marcos Camargo

On Friday, Feb. 27, some of Washington County’s top professionals and business leaders gathered together for the 11th Annual Fire and Ice Gala. Organized by the Dixie College Foundation and hosted by SunRiver, the annual gala raises money for needs-based scholarships, with all proceeds going toward scholarship funding. The event committee co-chair Marcia Wade said that in the past ten years, the Fire and Ice Gala has raised $1.6 million in charitable donations. Scholarship applicants are required to submit an essay detailing their educational aspirations and to go through an interview process.

Many scholarship recipients, both past and present, attend the event each year. Chance Steglich, Sam Parastino, and Kody Smith were in attendance as this year’s recipients. Parastino, a math major at Dixie State University, said that without receiving a Dixie State Foundation scholarship he would not have been able to continue his schooling.

The evening began with a silent auction. All items up for bid were donated by local businesses. The Dixie String Quartet performed a number of pieces during the silent auction.

Guests then made their way to the clubhouse ballroom for dinner, a scholarship recipient video, and a live auction. Pianist Jennifer Redfern, a former scholarship recipient, provided music during dinner. Steglich, a psychology major and professional vocalist, also performed a musical piece at this year’s event.

The live auction marked the highlight of the evening. Auctioneer Larry Gardner, accompanied by the Dixie Herald Trumpets, kept the energy of the event high. The auction included vacation packages, RVs, and works by local artists. Two of the more unique auction offerings were a dinner for eight with DSU President Biff Williams and first lady Kristin Williams, which went for $1200, and a fishing trip with former DSU President Stephen Nadauld, which went for $300.