An announcer encourages people to participate in the auction at the Eagle Bluff Country Club during the Boots and Pearls Gala on Saturday night. (Raquel Villatoro/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

At Eagle’s Bluff Country Club, education supporters came together in cowboy hats, glitter and glam for the Bullard Education Foundation Boots and Pearls Gala on Saturday evening.

Attendees were able to bid in silent and live auctions to support the foundation’s efforts to help Bullard ISD students. At the third annual gala, 280 people came to support the foundation’s fundraising efforts. Last year, the gala raised $103,000. This year they hope to raise more, said Letti Goodrich, vice president of marketing events at the Bullard Education Foundation.

“We have set a very ambitious goal of $125,000 for this year. So we will see, we are currently at like $68,000. So we’ve got a lot to raise tonight,” Goodrich said at the beginning of the gala. Fundraising totals will be added when they are made available.

During the gala, Neon Prophets took the stage. Many attendees got up and danced to their songs. Throughout the night attendees mingled, took pictures and celebrated the evening with food and drinks.

Bullard ISD students showed their skills through floral arrangements they made for the event; culinary students served desserts they made; and Future Farmers of America students made a swing for the auction.

Lindsey Durant, a physical education teacher at Bullard ISD’s campus for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, has received four grants from the foundation. She has received grants for a ninja warrior course and cosmic bowling. Through the grants, she was able to expand these efforts and get additional items she needed for her students. The lights she received for the cosmic bowling, she used again for an ‘80s day and Christmas game.

“It’s fabulous. There’s no way I would be able to afford this. So thanks to them, we’re able to get all this for the kiddos,” Durant said.

In addition, the foundation has provided grants for new playground equipment for a special education classroom and for their career and technical education students to do a mobile painting booth.

The funding from the foundation is important for the district as they are a rural district with almost 3,000 students. As school vouchers are being discussed, public schools could see reduced funding. Lee wants people to know the support for public schools is evident in rural schools and districts like Bullard.

“Because it shows that communities support their public schools despite what politicians may say,” Lee said. “Despite what they may think that everyone is out there trying to do or not, that’s not what’s actually happening. And in rural Texas and a rural school district like Bullard ISD, we have a community that supports our public school.”

As Bullard ISD grows, they are expected to open a new middle school thanks to a grant approved in 2022. In addition, they have planned renovations they are working on.

Lee is appreciative of the Bullard community and the foundation for their willingness to support the district.

“We are in one of the best places in East Texas, in the entire state of Texas,” Lee said. “We’re fortunate that we have an education foundation that supports our schools and that education foundation is able to do that because we have a community that supports our schools. And that’s, that’s what you see in Bullard, Texas.