The cafeteria at Habersham Central High School was filled with excitement Saturday night as supporters gathered for a fundraiser benefiting the school’s athletic department. By the end of the evening, three winners walked away with a share of the $10,000 grand prize — and one of them gave the money right back to the cause.
The event drew a full crowd, with 300 tickets sold at $100 each, raising significant funds for the athletic departments at the high school and middle schools. Each ticket included steak dinner for two with salad, baked potato, and dessert. A silent auction also took place with close to one hundred items up for grabs.
After dinner, attention turned to the night’s main event — a suspense-filled drawing that kept the crowd on edge.
Each ticket holder was assigned a number, and a ball with the corresponding number was placed into a hopper. At the front of the cafeteria, three large whiteboards were divided into 300 squares, each displaying the name and number of a ticket holder.
As the drawing began, Habersham Central Athletic Director Geep Cunningham called out the numbers as balls were pulled from the hopper. With each number drawn, one of Cunningham’s assistants placed an “X” through the corresponding square, eliminating that participant from the running.
Slowly, the field narrowed as the whiteboards filled with X’s and the crowd followed along with growing excitement.
When the remaining numbers narrowed to 15, 10, then 5, additional numbers were auctioned off and added back into the mix. The sixth and last number was auctioned off for $2,000, giving that buyer a late entry into the final round. From there, the tension continued to build.
Under the rules of the reverse auction, when only five numbers remain, the participants must decide whether to split the prize or continue drawing numbers to eliminate players. If even one person wants to continue, another number is drawn. As the drawing narrowed to the final three numbers, the remaining participants chose to end the suspense and split the $10,000 grand prize evenly.
The three winners were:
- Habersham County Sheriff Robin Krockum
- Kari Farr
- Devin Thompson
Sheriff Krockum announced he would donate the Sheriff’s Office’s $3,333 share of the winnings back to the Habersham Central athletic department, adding even more support to the night’s fundraising effort.
As the event came to a close, Athletic Director Geep Cunningham said “The best thing about tonight, and I mean it with all my heart, is that I’ve got a room full of people that love Habersham athletics…they’re with you, they’re for you, they’re going to support you, and they prove it by what they do.”
With a room full of supporters, a hearty meal, and a dramatic finish, organizers considered the evening a major success in supporting Habersham Central’s student-athletes.
