“It’s for the kids!”
Guests cheered as they toasted with champagne.
It was the slogan heard repeated throughout Saturday night at Aubrey’s Educational Foundation’s 25th gala.
“We do this for them,” Aubrey’s Educational Foundation President Christina Adamson said. “We do this for their classmates, their teachers. … The teachers have been amazing for us, and we just want to keep that tradition alive.”
With about 275 people in attendance, Adamson thanked the sponsors, donors, volunteers, teacher liaisons and the board.
“Without any of that, none of this is possible,” Adamson said.
AEF ’25-26 gala chairwoman Erin Bogar was the emcee, and Tracy Yarbrough served as the auctioneer.
Through both the live and silent auctions, the event raised an estimated $130,000, surpassing its $125,000 goal.
Several of the items were bought and resold throughout the course of the night.
One in particular was a blanket donated by Superintendent Dr. Shannon Saylor that she purchased at the first AEF gala, originally donated by former Aubrey students to help fund the gala scholarships.
Surviving over two decades in well-preserved conditions, the blanket was bought and resold four times Saturday.
“It doesn’t matter what the item is,” Executive Director Holly Drew said. “People are just generous, and they want to give to the students and the teachers, and the Education Foundation is a great organization.”
The event was held at the UNT Gateway Center, with this year’s theme being 25 years of shining for education.
Terrie McNabb, who was not present to accept her award, and Ron Bullock both received the Chaparral Elite for their achievements in the district.
Aubrey’s Mayor Chris Rich was also in attendance.
“It’s important for us, for the city and the school district to work together in an event like this to raise money for programs for the school,” Rich said.
His wife, Merisha Rich added, “The most important thing is that it’s for the kids.”
As guests ate their meals, a video played of past recipients of the Aubrey scholarship and how the program shaped their future careers.
“It felt like it was a flashback, because at some point, they were my kids,” Saylor said. “But I thought that was a really, really cool touch for them to do for the 25th anniversary. I’m proud of the board for AEF and the leaders, and Holly and her team. To pull off something like this that goes so smoothly and is so well attended, it speaks a lot for the work they do.”
The event was filled with live music, a photo spot and a friendly competition as guests participated in a game of Heads or Tails, which they entered by purchasing beaded necklaces.
The last person standing won a trip to Mexico.
Participants looked excitedly at Evalois Owens as she flipped the coin, revealing their fate.
Owens worked in the Aubrey district for 40 years before retiring.
She says attending the gala has been a good way to stay connected.
“When you’re at school so many years, it just gets in your blood, and you have to keep going,” Owens said.
Traci Goin came in second in last year’s game, but not this year, as she was the winner of the game.
For the first time, the gala featured a live painting, as Aubrey’s High School art teacher Jamie Alexander painted a chaparral, the school’s mascot, on stage.
The painting will be featured in next year’s auction as a donation item.
It was a first for the gala and for Alexander, which gave way to some nerves at first, but ended up as a great experience.
“Being so young in this profession and having this opportunity was also really nice,” Alexander said. “Because it’s my second-year teaching in general. Aubrey’s my … first full-time district. So, it was really fun to be able to do this for the community and help out in the way I could.”
