PORT ANGELES — Last week’s Pirate Casino Night, one of two signature fundraising events for Peninsula College athletic scholarships, was the most successful in its four-year history.
A sold-out crowd last Saturday filled the Club Seven room at 7 Cedars Casino where a live auction, silent auction, ticket sales and donations produced more than $25,000 for scholarships.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Rick Ross, Peninsula College’s associate dean for athletics and student life.
“Mitch Freeman, Tim Tucker, the Pirate Athletic Association Advisory Board and Mitch’s father Terry, in conjunction with Jerry Allen and the staff at 7 Cedars, put together a first-class event.
“Not only did everyone have a great time, but we raised a pile of money for scholarships.”
Peninsula’s annual fund raising need for scholarships is $46,000.
Casino Night, along with PAA memberships and sponsors, and the Pirate Golf Tournament scheduled for June 4, puts the athletic program in a great position to reach that goal, Ross said.
The keynote speaker for the event was former Peninsula Pirates goalkeeper Angel Guerra, of Wenatchee, who spoke of his struggle as a young man to find a pathway to higher education.
Guerra landed at Peninsula College in 2012 and was part of a team that won back-to-back Northwest Athletic Conference championships.
He also excelled in the classroom, achieving NWAC All-Academic honors and earning an associate’s degree with a 3.57 grade-point average.
He became the first member of his family to earn a college degree.
Guerra, who is now five months away from completing his bachelor’s degree at The Evergreen State College, where he was able to continue his intercollegiate soccer career, ended his speech by saying, “once a Pirate, always a Pirate.”
Peninsula College President Dr. Luke Robins, who opened the program with a welcome address that showcased the accomplishments of head coaches Alison Crumb, Freeman, Cale Rodriguez and Kanyon Anderson, and their respective teams, had high praise for Guerra’s talk.
“Angel told a powerful story about how Peninsula College provides great young people with an opportunity to thrive and excel, both on the field and in the classroom,” Robins said.
The event also featured master of ceremonies Scooter Chapman of KONP Radio, guest auctioneer Tom Pasma of the Bellingham area, and a performance by comedian Brad Upton, who in addition to traveling the world as a professional comedian also resides in the NWAC Hall of Fame following a successful track and field career at Spokane Community College.
Peninsula College also recognized its Pirate Athletics Hall of Fame members who were in attendance and announced the next five members, who will be inducted in June.
The two-year old HOF currently includes the 1970 Pirate men’s basketball team, the late Dr. Wally Sigmar, the late Art Feiro, Kathy Murphy-Carey and Jerry Allen.
Joining them at the June 4 induction ceremony will be the 2010 men’s soccer team, Jim Clem, the late Jim Lunt, Rosemary Moorhead and Scooter Chapman, whose announcement at the event was a surprise.
