MSUB SPORTS – More than $70,000 was raised at the 19th Annual Yellowjacket Scholarship Dinner auction this year, announced the Montana State University Billings department of athletics on Friday.
 
The primary fundraising event for the department, all proceeds from the dinner auction and Halloween party are applied directly towards scholarships for student-athletes.
 
"We are incredibly proud of reaching a new milestone with this year's scholarship dinner auction, and are happy to announce the most productive yield in the 19-year history of the event," commented MSUB director of

athletics Krista Montague. "We can't stress enough the importance of this event in the scope of providing opportunities for our student-athletes. Scholarships are vital to recruiting and retaining quality students, who are also competitive athletes. Not only do our student-athletes compete at a high level, they perform well in the classroom. Our department GPA is consistently above 3.0, which is something we are very proud of."
 
The athletic department would like to thank all individuals and businesses who donated items for both the silent and live auctions, and all those who attended the event. Additionally, MSUB would like to thank the following groups for their assistance in hosting the event:
 
-Big Horn Resort
-Party Solutions
-Professional Audio & Lighting, Inc.
-Briggs Distributing
-Coca-Cola Bottling Company High Country
 
"We are so thankful for all of the support from the Billings community and beyond, as it is truly a collective effort that makes this a successful event year-in and year-out," said Montague.
 
This year's event, which ran on Oct. 28 at the Big Horn Resort, also featured a costume contest with prizes for the most outstanding individuals and groups. The Scariest award was given to Bill Fjelstad and Kim Smidt for The Purge Group, the Best Tandem honor went to Scott and Diane Harris for Popeye and Olive Oyl, and the Best Group award went to Adam and Kevin Kimmett's Cellular Plus group, which attended as The Simpsons.
 
MSUB will celebrate the 20th Scholarship Dinner Auction next fall, which is scheduled for Friday, October 27, 2017. To inquire about donating to Yellowjacket Athletics, or for more information regarding the event, call 406-657-2369 or email sports@msubillings.edu.