Halo-Wings supports students’ dreams

Higher education is a worthy goal to pursue, but it also comes at a cost. For many students hoping to continue their academic instruction after high school, the price tag can present a major hurdle.

Helping students clear that hurdle is the mission of the MLK Jr. Scholarship Foundation, a Pahrump nonprofit that recently hosted a fundraiser which event organizers hailed as a success.

Taking place Saturday, at the NyE Communities Coalition Activities Center, the Halo-Wings Fashion Show and Free Concert brought in thousands of dollars that will be transformed into scholarships that will go to local high school seniors.

“The fundraiser went beautifully! We had a nice turnout, the vendors did some sales, which is always good, and they gave us donations as well,” event organizer Dore’ Foskey told the Pahrump Valley Times. “We had an amazing auctioneer, Ski Censke, I do believe everybody knows him! He did his thing, and I’d like to say, hats off to him, he was an excellent auctioneer. And I want to give a special shout-out to the organization JAG. We had the students helping out, they love to get involved in things, and we really appreciate it.”

Unfortunately, Foskey said the entertainment lineup didn’t include the anticipated Kingdom Muzic Ministries ensemble, but nonetheless, the performances provided last Saturday were wonderful.

“Because of the hurricanes, nearly all of the group from Kingdom Muzic weren’t able to make the event. But we did have one member, Philip, who is somewhat local, and he stepped up to do his part representing that group and he had a great show,” Foskey explained.

“Saved By Grace truly saved us,” she continued with a laugh. “They did a wonderful job blessing us with their talents. And we got a lot of positive feedback so everything worked out. Like the Bible says, all things work together for good for them that love and the people love the children here in the community. I think they gave very generously.”

For the Halo-Wings fundraiser, Foskey had set a personal goal of $5,000, and after the totals were calculated, the event managed to bring in over $4,000.

“Although we didn’t reach our goal at this time, we still feel very blessed for the crowd that we had, because it is an election year and there were many other things going. We really appreciate the efforts of all of the people who came to our event and we still blessed the kids with over $4,000,” Foskey enthused.

“Thank you to all of our vendors: Nanette Bounty for Baked Goods; new Sunflower Fashions owner Laraine Babbitt; Constance and Charles from Constance La Boutique; Cassandra Jefferson-Nolen of Hair Fashion and More; Althea P. Jones, author and book writer; Christina P. of Scentsy; and our Tupperware rep,” Foskey added. “And a big thank you to this year’s emcee Marla Quercia, former Ms. Senior Golden Years Queen, and Miss Pahrump, Lucy Smith.”

The fundraising efforts won’t stop with the Halo-Wings event. There are still many months left in the current academic year, and the foundation’s flagship event, the All People’s Luncheon, will help bring in even more cash for the nonprofit to distribute to ambitious high school students looking to pursue higher education.

“Now we’re preparing for January, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day,” Foskey noted. “We invite people to mark their calendars and come out for that as well.”

Next year will also be a major milestone for the nonprofit, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

“We want to host a gala for our 25th anniversary, and we’re looking forward to that,” Foskey said. “We’re hoping to have a lot of people join us for that, because we’d like to thank them for being so generous to us over the years.”

Aside from planning the group’s upcoming events, the foundation is concentrating on a recruitment effort to ensure that the organization can continue to benefit the next generation long into the future.

“We’re desperately in need of more membership,” Foskey added.

“Since the organization started, we’ve lost a lot of those original members who were very strong in getting the support of the community. We see other organizations that are thriving in the areas they are focused on and ours is just trying to keep our future in existence.

“Without membership, we may not be able to reach the goals we have. Anyone who is interested in encouraging the next generation, our children, to dream big and seek higher education, please join us. We’ll be happy to welcome you with open arms.”

The MLK Jr. Scholarship Foundation meets monthly at the Pahrump Community Library.

For meeting dates or more information contact Foskey at 775-513-1552.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com