This past Oct. 3, Wichita State supporters turned out some 1,000 strong for the sixth annual Rockin’ the Roundhouse. The live auction portion of the event alone brought in $117,750 from bidding on 17 items and packages, as well as “Raise the Paddle” contributions.
A 2009 Shocker Jeep Wrangler from Davis-Moore was one of the items. Others ranged from a Theodore Alexander bookcase, to a “Vintage in the Valley” trip for wine enthusiasts to the Rudd Vineyard and Winery and the Summers Winery in Napa Valley, to a Green Bay Packers football get-away featuring time with Bob Long, former Shocker and Packers football player. Other dining and travel offerings also were highly sought after, as were rounds of golf at area courses and a campus tour of wsu’s noted outdoor sculpture collection led by Dean Emeritus of Students Jim Rhatigan.
RnR’s silent auction — which raised some $28,000 as another key part of the overall fundraising effort to benefit the student, student-athlete and alumni programming of the alumni association and Shocker athletics — featured almost 200 items and services divided into eight categories, including Business & Technology and Shocker Showcase.
Volunteering on RnR’s auction acquisition committee were Joe and Stacy Hand (chairs), Delinda Royse, Frank Chappell, Rachel Allen, Steve Cohlmia, Jane Deterding and Mike Kennedy. Other volunteers were Brent Kemnitz, live auction emcee; cashiers Tonya Bronleewe, Sherry Compton, Christy Goentzel, Chad Green, John Meyer, Dale Rhodes, Stacey Sharp, Steve Quick; registration workers Jim and Sherilyn Maynard, Lindsay Dodge, Jamie Templin, April Brown, Phoebe Garcia, Deborah Buller, Elissa Buller; and general event volunteers Brad and Karen Clothier, Collin Stieben, Dave and Tonya Dahl, Phil and Connie Dietz, Terrie Coulter, Stephanie Collins, Rick Matz, Chuck Collins, Larry Lamb, Susan LaForce, Ginger Cox, Kathy Johnson, Courtney Landon, Cherie Shields, Pat O’Sullivan, Dot McNicol, Holly Thompson, Pat Campbell, Mandy Richardson, Megan Lamb, Katie Kent, Sarah Lavallee, Jami Rafferty, Scott Wombacher, Stacy Goss, Carol Hess, Jennifer Pfeiffer, Courtney Crain and Chris Bauer.
WSU student assistance came from members of Shockers Forever: Richard Brown, Trent Patterson, Kelsey McCann, Stacey Crouse, Jessica Packard, Chris Discipio, April Reed, Aaron Shurtz, Jaymie Collins, LaJuan Solomon, Nick Swanson, Sean Kennedy, Kyle Gorges, Shane Newsom, Amy Delgado and Christina Theisen.
RnR featured a wide variety of cuisine from some of the area’s top eateries. Participating restaurants were Abuelos the Flavor of Mexico, AJ Sports Grill/Back Alley, Catering by WSU Dining, Cheri’s Bakery, Chocolate Cascades, Cholita’s Mexican Restaurant, Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates, Cold Stone Creamery, Cookies by Design, Eberly Farm, Food for a Friend, Fox and Hound Pub & Grille, Jason’s Deli, Java Villa Cafe & Catering, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Johnny Carino’s, Louie’s Grill & Bar, Monica’s Bundt Cake Co., Old Chicago Restaurant, On the Border Mexican Cantina, P.F. Chang’s, Pizza Hut, Premier Catering, Redrock Canyon Grill, River City Brewery, The Broadview Hotel, Toni D’s Deli & Catering, Timberline Steakhouse, Two Brothers BBQ and Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill.
RnR’s presenting sponsor was Preferred Health Systems. Other corporate sponsors were Cox Communications, Printing Inc., Scholfield Automobile Dealerships, Standard Beverage Corp. and the Wichita Business Journal, as well as CBIZ, Delta Dental, Fahnestock Heating, A/C & Electric, House of Schwan, Intrust Bank, Koch Industries Inc., Legacy Bank, McCormick Armstrong, McCurdy Auction Service, Pepsi Bottling Group, Pizza Hut, Pratt Industries, Professional Engineering Consultants PA, Rand Graphics, J.L. and Susie Regan/David E. Jabara, Splurge!, the Dean O. Smith Family, Valley Offset Printing and Westar Energy.
And donating a percentage of his proceeds into the RnR pot was photographer Jerry Fritchman, who snapped attendees’ photos with WuShock — the perfect memento of a great Shocker night out.
