FVCC Foundation Spring Festival of Flavors Event Raises More Than $180,000 for Student Scholarships

The FVCC Foundation hosted its Festival of Flavors spring event, “Bon Voyage” on April 7, a Mediterranean-themed dining experience and auction. The evening raised funds for student scholarships at Flathead Valley Community College.

Community members in attendance were presented with six courses from ports across the Mediterranean Sea, including Athens, Greece; Venice, Italy; Marseille, France; Casablanca, Morocco; and Valencia, Spain, with wine pairings from event sponsor Fun Beverage Inc. The dinner was prepared and served by the FVCC Culinary Institute of Montana students.

“We are grateful to have the community support for our college and our students. Our generous donors and attendees change the lives of our students through scholarships supported by this event,” said FVCC President Jane Karas.

As Karas mentioned in a short speech at the event, many students would not be where they are today without scholarship support.

In addition to FVCC culinary students providing the meal, music and theatre students provided the event’s entertainment with musical performances throughout the evening including songs from FVCC’s recent musical theatre production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

FVCC Chief Development Officer Tagen Vine described the event as a huge success for student scholarships and connecting with the community. “It’s amazing and truly humbling to see people from all around the valley come together with a common goal of supporting our students,” said Vine. “The FVCC community doesn’t just mean the people on campus every day, but extends far beyond, and events like Bon Voyage is proof of that,” Vine said.

Local philanthropists Mike and Jamie Goguen showed their generous support of FVCC students with a special $100,000 gift at the event, bringing the fundraising total to over $180,000.

All proceeds from FVCC Festival of Flavors events like Bon Voyage support student scholarships at the college. Nearly 80% of degree-seeking students at FVCC receive financial aid, and the FVCC Foundation awards over $1M in scholarships each year.

For more information about Festival of Flavors events, visit fvcc.edu/festival. To contact the FVCC Foundation, email foundation@fvcc.edu or call 406.756.3632.