by MATT MOLINAR/Opinion Editor
Nothing is more exciting than winning a raffle.
At this year’s SPC Foundation Scholarship Gala, $1,830 was raised from selling raffle tickets during and prior to the Gala for a chance to win a quilt made out of T-shirts.
“This year, we sold tickets in advance of the Gala,” said Julie Gerstenberger, director of development and alumni at SPC. “So this year was special. All of the proceeds go to scholarships for SPC students.”
The winner of the raffle for the quilt was 9-year-old Reed Hyatt, a student at Ropes Elementary School who has been a fan of the Lady Texans for years and has grown up knowing members of the team.
“Cayla Petree, the Lady Texans’ head coach, and Reed have a special bond,” Gerstenberger explained. “They’ve known each other prior to the raffle, so he is a crazy fan of the Lady Texans.”
On March 10 at 3:45 p.m., the quilt was presented to Reed after his parents convinced him that he was on his way to SPC to enroll in a spring break math class. The presentation was a surprise for Reed. Members of the Lady Texans, as well as Petree, presented the queen-sized quilt crafted by Dianne Blume, a Levelland resident, and Vicki Vest, a staff member at SPC. The quilt was comprised of 25 T-shirts on one side. On the other side was a soft, plush fabric.
“We had a community member, who for years and years has been saying that she wanted to make an SPC T-shirt quilt,” explained Gerstenberger “We decided it would be an amazing idea to raffle the quilt off at the basketball games.”
As Hyatt walked into the room, his expression lit up. He was very excited to hear that out of hundreds of raffle tickets that were purchased, he had the winning ticket.
“The quilt is amazing,” said Tessa Hyatt, Reed’s mother. “This kid will absolutely love this quilt forever. It’s pretty cool. Reed is pretty excited about it.”
Reed Hyatt says he plans to keep the blanket on his bed for a very long time.
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