Hispanic Alumni Fiesta a Hit [Slideshow]

By Lynn Freehill in Association, Special, TXEX on September 9, 2012 at 2:15 pm | No Comments

Queso, cookies, balloons, games, gift baskets, and the Longhorn Band—not one party trapping was left out as the Texas Exes Hispanic Alumni Network held its annual Fiesta on Friday night.

Adding to the excitement: silent and live auctions and a lotería, leaving virtually all of the nearly 250 guests winners in the end.

The live-auction items alone, including a rocking chair with the State of Texas seal and a package to go bowling with NFL stars, brought in $4,100 for scholarships. Last year’s event raised more than $18,000 in all, and with a record-breaking nearly 60 silent-auction donations, hopes remain high that when all totaled, this year’s proceeds will be even higher.

Auctioneer Floyd Hoelting, the erstwhile executive director of UT’s Division of Housing and Food Service, got the crowd going. “Did you come to play?” he teased bidders.

At the end of the night, event co-chair Teresa Arnold stood in line to settle up for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center membership, UT apron, and other items she’d won in the silent auction. She was pleased with her prizes, but even more so with the success of the event.”We bring together so many of our friends we’ve made over the years,” she said. “And the most important thing is that it’s all for scholarships and all for the future of Texas.”