On the evening of Monday, 4 February, the Harry Dallara Foundation held a Fundraiser in Spartanburg, South Carolina at Wofford College. The reception and dinner were held in the Harley Room of the Richardson Building. The event was attended by over 60 supporters from Spartanburg, Tryon, and the Piedmont area.
Charles Dallara (left), Bruce Camber (right)
After welcoming comments by Charles Dallara, Bruce Camber, a 1969 Wofford College graduate, opened the evening with an invocation.
The Honorable Alan Peoples (left), Mayor of Tryon and Charles Dallara (right)
The Honorable Alan Peoples, Mayor of Tryon, then offered brief remarks expressing the Town's strong support for the Harry Dallara Foundation project, and emphasizing the importance he attaches to these improvements at Harmon Field.
The highlight of the Fundraiser was a speech by Ray Tanner, the Athletic Director at the University of South Carolina and Coach of two consecutive NCAA College World Series baseball championship teams. He was introduced by Wofford's Athletic Director Richard Johnson, who was our host for the evening.
Jeff and Billy Hodges of Holden’s Ranch
As guests enjoyed the special dinner prepared by Jeff Hodges of Holden's Ranch (including his famous chicken stew), Coach Tanner underscored his strong support for the Harry Dallara Foundation project in Tryon, emphasizing that engaging with both boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 12 can lay a strong foundation for developing mature adults who embrace diversity. He was especially pleased to see that the Foundation will be reaching out to children of different ethnicities, and will be emphasizing teamwork, self-esteem and the building of athletic skills. He mentioned the work of his own Foundation, the Ray Tanner Foundation, which had constructed a similar ball field in Columbia for disabled children.
Charles Dallara introducing Ray Tanner (left) and Sam Foster (right)
Coach Tanner was then interviewed by Sam Foster, Senior Adviser to the Chairman of the Foundation and Vice Chairman Emeritus of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees. During the interview, Coach Tanner talked about the keys to building a champion sports team, emphasizing consistency, attention to detail, the blending of analytics with experience, and respect for all players whether or not they succeed on any given day. At the conclusion of his remarks, Charles Dallara presented Coach Tanner with a check for $1,000 from Peixin and Charles Dallara to the Ray Tanner Foundation.
Mark Byington, Landscape Architect
The evening also involved a video presentation of the life of Harry Dallara and his inspiration for the project at Harmon Field. A presentation was also made by Mark Byington, the landscape architect for the project. Gordon Hamilton, a Director of the Foundation from Tryon, also shared background history on the Tryon All Stars, stressing the importance of the plaque honoring them at Harmon Field.
Fundraiser guests
Other Board members who attended included: Bill Cummings, who coordinated the evening with Wofford, and his wife Cindy; Stephen Dallara; and Adrian Dallara. Adrian conducted an auction of various items, the proceeds of which went entirely to the Foundation. Among those items which proved popular were a baseball signed by Yogi Berra, a football signed by Clemson Football Coach Dabo Swinney, and a unique baseball co-signed by Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee World Series MVP and Coach of the Gamecocks baseball team, alongside a signature of Ray Tanner.
(Counterclockwise) Dr. Cecil Lanford, 1955 Wofford graduate and former Wofford shortstop, Mrs. Mary Jane Lanford, Ellen Lanford Asherman (hidden), Philip Asherman, and Gordon Hamilton
Special guests included: Michael Penner of Montreal, Canada; Hattie Bryant, a copy of whose book I'll Have It My Way was auctioned off during the evening; Dr. Cecil Lanford and his wife Mary Jane who were accompanied by their daughter Ellen Asherman and son-in-law Philip Asherman from Houston, Texas -- Dr. Lanford was presented with a special baseball co-signed by both Coach Tanner and Richard Johnson in recognition of his having been a 1955 graduate of Wofford College and a shortstop on Wofford's baseball team.
Other guests included: Ross Nell of Denny's Corporation and his friend Steve Grant of Furman University; Wally Barre, co-founder of Colonial Trust; and Bill Bean.
Charles Dallara (left) with Adrian Dallara (right)
Harry Dallara's three daughters Bette Hodges, Barbara Pollard and Kim Pankratz were also in attendance, as were Harry's grandsons Jeff Hodges, Billy Hodges and John Pollard, and Harry's grandnephew Blake Cummings.
The Fundraiser was an unqualified success with over $14,000 raised that evening, and an additional $29,000 raised from friends, family and supporters who were unable to attend that evening but contributed to the Foundation.
Charles Dallara announced that he and his wife Peixin would donate matching funds for the combined amount of the contributions of nearly $45,000. Thus the total raised was nearly $90,000 representing almost two-thirds of the $150,000 goal which the Foundation had established, constituting a major step forward towards completion of the project.
Click below on the photo to start the photo slideshow of the evening’s guests!
