Crowder College Foundation

10/07/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Outstanding Alumna, Katlynn Bishop!

We were honored to recognize Katlynn at our Crowder College Foundation Scholarship Banquet, where she also served as our inspiring guest speaker.

A Neosho native and Crowder nursing graduate, Katlynn has built an incredible journey from emergency room trauma nurse to successful entrepreneur running One24 Boutique. What began as a small boutique business with her mother has grown into a nationally recognized online business with more than 100,000 followers, customers in all 50 states, and nearly one million orders! 🎉

But Katlynn’s success is about more than business. She and her family continue to give back to Crowder and communities throughout the region through scholarships, fundraising, athletics, and countless other causes.

Her message to students is one we hope they carry with them: “Push yourself. Broaden your shoulders. Don’t give up.”

Katlynn, we are so proud to call you a Crowder Roughrider and grateful for the example you continue to set through your hard work, perseverance, generosity, and commitment to others. 💙🤍

Congratulations, Katlynn! 🐎

See her featured article in our Generosity Report at https://indd.adobe.com/view/ac6cbbd6-5f3a-43bc-a27e-05cece5fc129

10/06/2026

🎉 Thank you, Cornerstone Bank! 🎉

We are so grateful to Cornerstone Bank for being our Live Auction Sponsor for our 24th Annual Festival of Wreaths! 🎄💙

Your continued support helps make this special evening possible and, most importantly, helps us provide scholarships for Crowder College students.

We are so excited for another incredible night of food, fun, and fabulous auction items! Thank you for helping us empower futures together! 💙

onecau.se/fow26

10/03/2026

🎉 WINNER’S CHOICE RAFFLE! 🎉

We’re excited to introduce our Winner’s Choice Raffle, sponsored by Newton County Abstract & Title Company, benefiting the Crowder College Foundation’s 24th Annual Festival of Wreaths! 💙

Here’s the fun part… the winner gets to CHOOSE their prize!

Your choice of one of these awesome prizes, each valued at approximately $350+:

🎧 Bose QuietComfort Headphones
🔥 Blackstone 28" Omnivore Griddle with Hood
🛴 Segway Pro Electric Scooter

🎟️ Tickets are just $5 each OR 5 for $20!

👉 Get your tickets now at onecau.se/fow26

Every ticket helps support Crowder student scholarships, so you could win something amazing while helping empower a student’s future! 💙

A HUGE thank-you to Newton County Abstract & Title Company for sponsoring this exciting raffle and supporting Crowder students! Drawing will take place Nov. 10th during our LIVE Auction. Need not be present to win.👏

Buy your tickets. Pick your prize. Support scholarships! 🎉🎓

10/01/2026

Thank you to the Arvest Foundation for their generous donation of $10,000 to the Allied Health Programs at the Crowder College McDonald County Instructional Site. We are grateful for their continued investment in Crowder, our programs, and the students we serve!

09/30/2026

Thank You, Simmons Foods!

We are incredibly grateful to Simmons Foods for being a Gold Level Sponsor of the 24th Annual Festival of Wreaths!

Your generous support helps make this beloved event possible and, most importantly, helps provide scholarships for Crowder College students. We are so thankful for community partners like Simmons Foods who invest in our students and their futures!

Thank you for helping us empower futures together! 💙

Join us November 10 for an evening of food, fun, door prizes, and incredible silent and live auction items - all while supporting Crowder scholarships! 🎁✨

09/29/2026

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Eve Adams, a former Foundation Board member and president, longtime supporter of Crowder College, and someone who played an important role in the long-running tradition of the Festival of Wreaths.

Eve’s connection to Crowder went far beyond her service on the Foundation Board. She was a true friend, advocate, and champion for the College and its students. She and John Adams have been longtime supporters of Crowder, and their generosity and involvement have left a lasting mark on the College and the communities we serve.

Eve was also instrumental in helping make the Crowder College McDonald County campus a reality. She and John were key donors to the project, but perhaps just as importantly, she had a remarkable ability to get others excited about the vision. Eve believed in what Crowder could mean for students and the community, and she had a way of bringing people alongside her. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and she helped encourage others to step forward and invest in the project as well.

For many of us, the Festival of Wreaths will always bring memories of Eve. She was one of the staples of that tradition for many years and helped make the event what it is today. Her involvement, enthusiasm, and commitment were woven into the fabric of the Festival, which has gone on to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for student scholarships.

Eve was more than a donor or former board member. She was someone who believed in Crowder, believed in the people of this community, and believed in what was possible when people came together around a common purpose. She helped bring people together, and the impact of that work will continue for generations of students. Please join us in keeping Eve’s family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. We are grateful for the many ways Eve invested her time, leadership, friendship, generosity, and enthusiasm in Crowder College. Her impact will continue to be felt for many years to come.

Eve Evadene Donaghey Adams, 85, of Southwest City, MO, passed away peacefully on September 27th, 2026 surrounded by her loving family. A celebration of Eves life will be held this Friday, October 2nd at Southwest City First Baptist Church with visitation beginning at 1000 am and service at 1100 am.

09/23/2026

We want to thank Arvest Bank, one of our ✨Gold Sponsors, for supporting the 24th Annual Festival of Wreaths!

Your generous support helps make this beloved event possible and, most importantly, helps provide scholarships for Crowder College students. We are thankful for community partners like Arvest Bank who continue to invest in our students and their futures.

09/22/2026

🎄✨ SAVE THE DATE! ✨🎄

The 24th Annual Festival of Wreaths is coming November 10th! 🎉

Presented by the Ross & Vicki Babbitt Estate, this beloved Crowder College Foundation tradition is an evening you won’t want to miss! Join us for a fun-filled night featuring:

🍽️ Delicious food
🎁 Door prizes
🛍️ Silent auction
🔨 Live auction
🎓 And, most importantly, an opportunity to support Crowder College student scholarships!

For 24 years, our community has come together to make a difference in the lives of Crowder students. 💙 We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

📅 November 10, 2026
📍 Elsie Plaster Community Center

Mark your calendars and join us for a night of fun, generosity and supporting Crowder students! 💙🎄

09/18/2026

We are incredibly grateful to the Ross & Vicki Babbitt Estate, our Presenting Sponsor for the 24th Annual Festival of Wreaths!

Their continued generosity and commitment to this beloved scholarship fundraising event are pivotal to its success. Because of partners like them, we are able to continue investing in Crowder College students and their futures.

We are so excited for this year’s Festival of Wreaths and all that it will make possible for our students. Thank you, Ross & Vicki Babbitt Estate, for believing in Crowder and helping us empower futures together!

We can’t wait to see you at the 24th Annual Festival of Wreaths, November 10th!

09/17/2026

📚✨ Calling All Partners, Businesses & Community Supporters! ✨📚

After record-setting participation in 2026, the Crowder College Communications Division is excited to bring this inspiring experience back to young writers across Southwest Missouri.

Led by Dr. Stephanie Witcher and the English Communications Department, the conference gives young students the opportunity to explore creative writing, strengthen their storytelling skills, discover their voices and share their love of writing. ✍️📖

We’re looking for businesses, organizations and individuals who want to partner with us to make this incredible opportunity possible for the young people in our region.

Your sponsorship is more than supporting an event—it’s an investment in creativity, confidence and the next generation of storytellers. 💙 Interested in becoming a Young Authors Conference sponsor? We’d love to have you join us!

📩 Contact Stephanie Witcher to learn more, or payments can be made to https://www.crowder.edu/foundation/ways-to-give/ (please notate your donation or sponsorship to the Young Authors Conference).