BUCYRUS — After a successful inaugural year, which saw a fundraising of more than $25,000, The Crawford Success Center hosted its second annual Arts for Success event Thursday evening.
The event featured live and silent auctions of artwork created by local artists and students to raise scholarship funds for students.
Crawford Success Center Operations Manager Amanda Sheets said the generosity shown during the event is phenomenal and the collaboration between community members and businesses is something making the Bucyrus area a better place to live and work.
Various community members, elected officials and other honored guests attended the event including Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Mrs. Tina Husted.
Tina Husted is a Bucyrus native and Colonel Crawford High School graduate.
She was honored during the event with the inaugural Arts for Success Leadership Award.
Husted said collaboration between business owners and other prominent community members with students and learning institutions is crucial for the success of a community.
“These kids, many of them may not have had the opportunities that each of us have had and having people that really believe in and support this organization is critical for success in this community,” she said.
She said Bucyrus, as a smaller community, is lucky to have an option like the Crawford Success Center with North Central State College to further its citizens’ education and skills.
“It means everything,” Husted said. “It can make or break whether a person ends up in poverty or prosperity and if they have the opportunity in their hometown, it saves them money and time and the stress and worry of receiving the education they want.”
Lt. Gov. Husted said Tina and the Success Center’s shared passion for education is something Tina promotes at the state level as far as Gov. Mike and Fran DeWine.
He said educational institutions and businesses collaborating to give traditional and adult students, alike, the skills they need to compete and get a great job is critical to the economic vitality of the community. He said Tina has the passion for her hometown to have that success.
“Tonight, is about a community effort,” he said. “We’re incredibly proud to support it.”
Community it exactly the word Sheets would use when describing the goal of the event.
From the artwork from Ohio residents and natives, some now as far away as Hawaii and Israel, to the students who learn and then work in the local community, are just snippets of the hyper-local focus on the Bucyrus community and its members trying to continue to improve its future.
Sheets said the money raised from the artwork provides scholarships for students to further their education at the Crawford Success Center through North Central State College, whether that be an associate’s degree, certificate or apprenticeship through a local business.
She said the art aspect of the evening also provides a chance to showcase the arts in Bucyrus. Performances during the event include singing by United in Harmony and a contemporary dance performed by Beth Anne Jarvis.
Sheets said the event promotes focused future goals for the betterment of the community. Sponsoring organizations focused on that goal included presenting sponsor Ohio Health, media sponsor North Central Ohio Media Group, including Country Legends 1540AM/107.5FM WBCO, Iconic Rock Q92.7 WQEL and Crawford County Now; gold sponsor organizations Avita Health System and Ohio Mutual Insurance Group; and gold sponsor individuals Dave Bush, Tom Holthouse and Dr. Joseph Shadeed.
The auction was led by Charles Miller Jr.