CR Announces its Annual Dinner & Auction to Support Intercollegiate Athletics

Press release from College of the Redwoods:

College of the Redwoods will be hosting its annual Dinner & Auction to benefit its Intercollegiate Athletics Program on August 10, from 5:00 to 9:00 pm in the CR Gymnasium. This year’s event is being sponsored by Blue Lake Casino & Hotel. CR will be honoring the 1998-99 men’s basketball team who won the Golden Valley Conference Championship and gained national attention with the participation of the first father and son teammates on a collegiate basketball team, Frank and Isaac Gildea. CR will also be honoring former student-athletes who passed away during 2022-23 and remembering Jim McAuley, CR’s most successful football coach and Athletics Director.

James A. McAuley

The CR Dinner & Auction is the college’s largest fundraising event and is attended by more than five hundred community members. Tickets are available at https://www.redwoods.edu/Foundation-Home/Auction, $90 for an individual, $175 for a couple, $650 for a table of eight, and $750 for a table of ten.

The CR Foundation and CR Athletics are asking for donations of both silent and live auction items/packages. A benefits package is available to donors. All the funds raised by this event will directly benefit the Athletics Program and donors have the opportunity to designate their items to support either the overall Athletic Program or specific sports team(s).

“I am always so gratified and grateful when the community comes together for the CR Athletics Dinner and Auction, says CR President Dr. Keith Flamer. “Over the years, it has supported thousands of student-athletes, enabling them to pursue their academic goals and excel in their respective sports. I look forward to this event, as I am confident that, once again, our community will come together in an extraordinary display of generosity and support for our athletic programs and teams. We could not do this without them.”

College of the Redwoods provides opportunities to more than 250 youth to continue their education and to pursue excellence in their respective sports.  CR now offers fifteen sports programs:  baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, women’s tennis and beginning in 2023-2024 men’s and women’s wrestling.  Nearly half of CR’s athletes are local youth.

When asked about recognizing the 1998-99 team at this year’s Dinner & Auction, CR’s men’s basketball coach and Assistant Athletic Director, Ryan Bisio, said, “The opportunity for us to celebrate this historic team is a real treat. It’s astonishing that it’s been nearly 25 years since this exceptional group galvanized our community. I remember being a high school kid who idolized many players on that team since so many of them went to local high schools in our community. Winning the Golden Valley Conference championship was certainly a memorable accomplishment, but the playoff atmosphere that the team generated was a moment of cultural significance for our school and one that I often mention to our current players. Generations of players who have since played at CR were inspired to create a legacy like the 98-99 team, and were influenced by their originality, grit, and genuine accessibility.”

Bob Brown, Director of Kinesiology, Health, Recreation, and PE & Athletics, said, “It is a great honor for us to be recognizing this basketball team. I fondly remember the excitement this group generated in our community and in our gymnasium throughout that season. There were so many storylines created throughout the year with the dynamic personalities of that group including the father/son combination of Frank and Isaac Gildea competing that gained national news attention. They just meshed in every positive way under the leadership of Coach Tregs, and you could feel how much fun they had together both on and off the court as I personally witnessed traveling on one of their trips as an extra van driver for Coach Tregs. This team is such an important piece of the CR Athletic legacy, and it will be great to recognize their contributions during our auction.”

For more information about the event, tickets, or to donate auction items, please contact Marty Coelho, Executive Director of College Advancement and the CR Foundation at 707-476-4325 or email [email protected].