A grand total of $141,656 was raised by TES, VES + TMS Parent Teacher Organizations
TEMPLETON — The Black and White Ball, put on by the TES, VES + TMS Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO), was held on Saturday, Mar. 26, for its fifth year. The ball was held at Rava Wines in Paso Robles and raised funds for Templeton and Vineyard elementary schools, and Templeton Middle School.
Over 300 people attended the event, including volunteers and entertainment. And a grand total of $141,656 was raised by TES, VES, + TMS PTO, which was 236% of their fundraising goal.
“The generosity of our small but mighty community is simply amazing!” said Templeton Unified School Districts’ Superintendent Aaron Asplund, who was in attendance. “These funds will do so much good to augment and enrich the school experience for countless Templeton students.”
“Looking back at the previous auctions, the most money the event had ever raised was $65,000 … in my head, I was hoping to reach six figures but wasn’t sure if we could get there or not — this was such an exciting surprise,” added Azurae Shults, auction chair and TES PTO president along with Bonnie Loftus.
In 2020, the TES, VES + TMS PTO were gearing up for The Black and White Ball when COVID-19 hit. The ball was canceled in both 2020 and 2021, after a four-year streak that started in 2016.
“Our 2020 event was pushed back to 2022. So we called this our fifth annual auction,” Shults said.
The Black and White Ball featured catering by Jimmy’s Catering, music from Moonshiner Collective, Emcee Andy Morris, and live magic performed by Mark Collier. Auctioneer Jim Settle and his ringmen ran the live auction portion of the evening.
“Beyond securing the venue, working out sponsorship deals, and planning details for the event, there was a whole other set of details that had to be considered to make the silent and live auctions successful,” Shults said. “We coordinated with the teachers on all three campuses to encourage themed class baskets that we could include in the silent auction. With the help of the teachers and several local donors, we had over 100 silent auction items. We also worked with local businesses to procure live auction donations and sponsorships.”
Some of the live auction sponsors this year were Vinyoga + 15C, Saxum Wines, Ledge Wines, J Dusi Wines, Hartley Farms, Barton Family Wines, Merlo Waterfowl, The Loftus Family, The Odenwald Family, The Armet Family, Hospice du Rhone Board of Directors, and Dr. Mareeni Stanislaus.
“Along the way, we had to develop a website, design an invite and posters, sell tickets and tables, print paddles and programs and make sure all of our donations were organized properly in the auction software,” Shults said of the new skills PTO had to learn to run the ball.
Sponsors for the Black and White Ball included J Dusi Wines, Umpqua Bank, Amber Delaere Compass Real Estate, Kasarjian CPA, Scott Elmerick Mortgage, Courtney Morrow State Farm, SCOUT Rental Co., All About Events, Rava Wines, Jimmy’s Catering, Barracuda Baking, Barrelhouse Brewery, Spectrum Floral Design, Sealed With A Kiss, and Lola’s Letters.
“This group of caring individuals poured so much time, energy, and heart into this event and continued the legacy of care and support from our dedicated PTOs. They are such a big part of what makes Templeton School District so special,” Asplund said.
The TES, VES, + TMS PTO look forward to bringing the Black and White Ball back next spring.
