Mayor Eddie Lowe: Scholarship ball “another success” with over $100,000 raised

Phenix City Mayor Eddie Lowe said Sunday he feels “truly blessed” that the Phenix City Mayor’s Annual Education and Charity Ball did so well.

“It was another success,” he said.

In the fourth year for the event, the brainchild of Lowe and his wife Deborah raised more than $119,000 Saturday night.

The money will go for scholarships to high school seniors at Central High and Glenwood, as well as agencies which aid the disadvantaged in Phenix City.

Lowe said students who apply for a scholarship must have already been accepted to a college.

The event was held at the Rivermill Event Centre in Columbus. Lowe said more than 700 people were in attendance. The mayor said the event needed to be held in Columbus because of the number of people purchasing tickets.

“We don’t have a place this large in Phenix City, yet,” Lowe said. “We are moving forward as one region, because what is good for Phenix City is good for Columbus and what is good for Columbus is good for Phenix City. We are grateful that we were able to be in Columbus. There are a lot of people and businesses that contribute over in Columbus because they see the cause is bigger than any of us.”

The guest speaker for the evening was ESPN football analyst Booger McFarland, a former player in the National Football League who attended LSU.

“He did a great job,” Lowe said.

Originally scheduled to speak was LSU football coach Ed Orgeron but the NCAA saw the appearance as possibly a platform for recruiting and nixed the idea.

Lowe said people at the ball were impressed by past recipients talking about what their scholarship meant to them.

This story was originally published June 11, 2017 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Mayor Eddie Lowe: Scholarship ball “another success” with over $100,000 raised."