A beautiful, sunny day greeted the 25 golf teams who came out to raise money for scholarships at the Beaufort County Community College Foundation’s 24^th-annual Invitational Golf Tournament, sponsored by PotashCorp.

The tournament took place at the Washington Yacht & Country Club, and it was preceded by a concert by the Embers featuring Craig Woolard and a silent auction Oct. 19. Stewart’s Jewelry was the premier sponsor of the auction.

The tournament is the largest single, annual fundraising event for the foundation. It raises funds for scholarships to help eligible students with the cost of tuition and books. During the fall 2017 semester, the foundation awarded $90,000 in scholarships. This amount is a significant increase in giving as it exceeds the total for the entire 2016-2017 academic year.

“We had over 260 people at the Embers concert, far more than we had anticipated. We had to turn people away,” said Serena Sullivan, executive director of the BCCC Foundation. The concert included a catered dinner from Keyzer Catering. “Stewart’s Jewelry and Russell’s of Washington donated some exceptional items for our auction. We are fortunate to have such a supportive business community in our area.”

The event pulled in profits that exceeded previous events. Auction items included a 14-carat gold necklace with tourmaline, four Disney Park Hopper passes, a hand-carved miniature canvasback drake, a Carolina Panthers lithograph football, an antique 30-gallon cast-iron pot and a gift certificate to the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, as well as many other items.

The foundation is accepting applications for spring 2018 scholarships through Nov. 25. Students can find the application online or stop by the BCCC Foundation office in Building 1.