Dueling Pianos Fundraiser a Big Success for OFTC’s Foundation
It was an exciting night in the Tarbutton Center on Oconee Fall Line Technical College’s (OFTC) Sandersville campus, Thursday, September 15, as guests enjoyed the musical talent and showmanship of Mark Larson and Mark Kovaly of the Andrews Brothers Dueling Pianos.
The OFTC Foundation hosted the fundraiser for the purpose of generating revenue to help with initiatives related to the support of students and programs at the college.
From Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Great Balls of Fire,” Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the GA Bulldog Fight Song, and Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” guests were entertained, enthralled, and engaged the entire night.
The evening began with cocktails and dinner, then quickly moved into the entertainment portion of the evening.
On a stage just big enough to hold the pianos and lighting, the two entertainers set up their keyboards and put out tip requests, a pile of paper forms and pencils, and at 7:30 it was show time. “And boy, what a show,” shared Kathy Aaron, Executive Director of the OFTC Foundation.
“The two Marks urged attendees to write their requests on the papers and pay to have their song preference played, or else the two would simply play some ‘really horrible music.’ And It didn’t take long,” she added. “The first request came in and the fun began. The more paid, the sooner a song plays. From there requests poured in and the sing-along was on.”
The Andrews Brothers Dueling Pianos is known all over the U.S. and Mexico and have performed for the past 18 years at national events for Microsoft, Hooters, Chick-Fil-A, Phillips Arena, The Atlanta Braves, Disney, Sony, IBM, Edward Jones, ESPN, and at the Masters for the past three years.
The evening was a great success and supported immensely by the community. “I was pleasantly surprised when the event was a sell-out a week before the event and we were having to turn people away,” Aaron said. “The Foundation would like to thank the community for their support of this event and looks forward to hosting it again next year.”
“I think the community was hungry for something new, different, and just an opportunity to get out among people and have fun,” she added. “The timing was perfect and everyone left feeling entertained. The success of this event would not have been possible without community support, and for that the OFTC Foundation is grateful!”
To learn more about the OFTC Foundation and future opportunities for support, please contact Kathy Aaron at aaron@oftc.edu.
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