Gravette Athletic Boosters hold Appreciation Banquet & Awards Assembly on Saturday May 19th

— This year the Gravette Athletic Boosters, Inc. will hold its annual membership appreciation banquet in conjunction with the club-sponsored Gravette High School athletic awards banquet and assembly on Saturday, May 19, at the GHS Commons. Doors will open at 4:45 p.m., and the public is very much encouraged to attend.

The highlight of the evening will be the GHS Athletic Awards assembly. The GHS coaches will recognize the achievements of each team as well as individual players.

Kicking off the awards assembly will be special guest speaker Steve Conley. Conley is the director of thesports medicine program for Northwest Health System. He has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Arkansas and a fitness certification with AFAA. At Arkansas, Conley was a member of the track and field team, being part of two NCAA championships. He was also a member and team captain for the Razorback football team. During his senior year, the Razorbacks went on to become the western division champs in the SEC for the first time in school history.

Following his college career, Conley was blessed to play five years of professional football, beginning with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is this background in sports that gave him the passion totrain today's youth to be the best they can be. Conley’s motto is: "If you want something you never had, you have to do something you have never done."

Banquet tickets have been mailed to eligible booster club members, and additional banquet tickets may be purchased at the door for $8 each. The banquet meal, catered by the GHS Culinary Arts Class, will begin at 5 p.m. A silent auction, featuring nearly $7,000 in prizes and merchandise, will also begin at 5. The silent auction is open to the public and does not require a ticket.

An abbreviated list of some of the donated items to be included in the silent auction is noted in the corresponding ad in this week’s paper. The banquet andsilent auction will conclude at 6 p.m., at which time the live auction will begin.

The live auction, which will feature special sports photo collages and autographed sports balls, will take place in the Performing Arts Center. Two Bella Vista lots will also be auctioned. The awards assembly will follow the live auction.

This function is the Athletic Boosters major fund raiser of the year. Please show your support of the Gravette High School athletic program by attending this year’s banquet, auctions, and awards assembly.

News, Pages 5 on 05/16/2012