Red and Black Affair to benefit Jackson schools foundation

Now in its 11th year, the Red and Black Affair gala event to benefit the Jackson schools’ foundation is set for Saturday night at the Jackson Civic Center.

Merideth Pobst, district communications director who also oversees the foundation, said she’s proud of what the foundation event’s proceeds can do for the district and students.

About 500 guests are expected, Pobst said, and Tuesday she said tickets will likely be sold out before Saturday.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event starts officially at 6:30 p.m., she said.

The event is a great opportunity to highlight as many Jackson school alumni as possible, she said.

Jackson alum Kyle Taylor has donated a piece of art to the silent auction this year, Pobst said.

Taylor specializes in creating portraits of professional athletes, and painted a 36-by-48-inch portrait of St. Louis Cardinals player Matt Carpenter, Pobst said.

The piece is signed by Carpenter, too, she added.

Shades of Soul will play again this year — some band members graduated from Jackson, she said.

“They tailor some music to our crowd. They know a lot of the people, and it’s good that they can interact with the crowd,” Pobst said.

This year’s theme is A Glowing Time, which will be a fun atmosphere, she added.

“We like to say we put the fun in fundraiser,” Pobst quipped.

Proceeds from the gala help fund the teaching and learning grant program within the foundation, Pobst said.

“Next school year, our teachers can write grants that contribute to anything that expands the education process outside of the norm,” she said. For example, teachers could ask for funds to help grow a club, such as the robotics club. The music program sometimes asks for additional instruments, or a teacher might want to fund a field trip.

“If a student wanted to participate in an extracurricular but doesn’t have the means to fund, for example, club dues, we have funds to do that,” Pobst said. “It covers a lot of ground for us.”

Pobst said she loves to help people in need, and now in her eighth year running the event, she’s seen a lot of good come directly from this event and other fundraisers throughout the year.

“I see where it’s come from since I started,” she said. “I know what it means to our kiddos to receive items from the program, and see our teachers benefit, too.”

For more information, contact the district office at (573) 243-9501.

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