(Seguin) — A big event is being held this weekend to raise money to support local kids involved in agricultural related programs, like 4-H and FFA. The Allan Dreibrodt Memorial Fundraiser is set for Saturday night at the Columbus Club of Seguin Hall (formerly known the KC Hall).
Brannon Dreibrodt says the event bears the name of his late father, but he says the night is all about taking care of kids in this community, while also giving people a chance to have a good time.
“This is a blast. Growing up, at 16 or whatever, we used to have dances at the KC Hall and they were a lot of fun. First off, that’s kind of part of it. We have a nice dance (planned). We have Gary Glenn & the 20X Band is going to be there. A lot of people will know Gary Glenn. He used to head up the band, Wildcard. People my age, we know Wildcard. It’s a lot of fun. So we have the dance. We have a dinner, catered by Johnny’s BBQ, and it will be a phenomenal dinner. We have a silent auction. We have a live auction. There will be all kinds of items. We have a large amount of items. We have a phenomenal community that comes together to really help us out with these donations. We also have a gun raffle. It’s just a lot of fun. You have great music, a dance, dinner, live auction, silent auction, (and) gun card raffle.”
“Some very, very cool items have come to us this year. I’m just so looking forward to it,” said Dreibrodt.
Last year’s event, like most things in 2020, was forced to go online. Dreibrodt says they are greatful for all those who helped to keep the event going during the pandemic, but he says he’s so looking forward to people again coming together for a great cause.
“Last year, Designer Custom Leather helped us out with a livestream on Facebook. We are forever in their debt for that. And they have also donated stuff to us this year. They are just amazing people. But we are so looking forward seeing and having the people come out and enjoy it, and have fun, and maybe have some resemblance of normalcy,” said Dreibrodt.
Tickets for the fundraiser are still available. Dreibrodt says they have tried to keep the cost of admission affordable, so that more people can come and show their support.
“You can’t tell me that you aren’t going to spend $25 on the weekend foir some sort of recreation. You can’t tell me that. It’s just the way it is. If you go to a movie nowadays and get popcorn and a drink, you’re going to spend more than that. This way you can go. You can have a great dinner — a lot better than popcorn. You can have a live band with great music and (you can) dance. There’s silent auction items. There’s something for everybody. And (you get) the community. What makes it even better, is that every bit of this goes back to the kids in the community,” said Dreibrodt.
The funds raised help to support kids that participate in Guadalupe County Youth Livestock and Homemakers Show. Dreibrodt says they also provide scholarships to deserving students here in Guadalupe County. He says these kids deserve the community’s support, especially after all the challenges that occurred in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“So you are helping out these kids in 4H and FFA. In 2020, these kids had their shows canceled. They spent money on these projects, and they had their shows canceled. We need to help them out. These kids need us badly. That’s what we are here to do. We want this, and I’ve been saying this since I first posted about this and decided we were doing this. We want a live event this year. We need to help these kids out, and we need to show them that we appreciate what they are doing. We need to show them that we know that they are our future. We need to tell them, by doing this, how important they are to us,” said Dreibrodt.
Saturday night’s event is all about the kids, but it’s also about remembering the legacy of Allan Dreibrodt, who was a former ag teacher turned banker. Brannon Dreibrodt says his dad always had a passion for youth related ag programs, and that’s why they wanted to start this foundation to honor his legacy and to continue the work that he started.
“My father did so much for this community. This community meant so much to him, and these kids were a big part of why. He loved these kids, (and) he loved FFA,” said Dreibrodt.
Allan Dreibrodt, despite his battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), went on to live an amazing life. Brannon Dreibrodt says his father may have had some physical limitations caused by his diease, but that never stopped him for taking care of his family and taking care of his community.
“I could not have grown up with a better father. I could not have grown up having a better role model than my dad. People say ‘what was it like having a father who couldn’t go out and throw the football with you?’ I didn’t miss a thing, because my dad was so far above and beyond what a lot of fathers are. And he couldn’t get up out of his chair. But it didn’t matter. He was still one amazing person, and he would be so proud of this community for showing up at events like this and helping out those kids. He would have been overcome, (or) overwhelmed — I should say,” said Dreibrodt.
The doors open at 5 p.m. Saturday, the dance gets started at 7 p.m., and the live auction begins at 9 p.m. in the KC Hall. Tickets can be purchased at Gift & Gourmet, or you can get from them Brannon Dreibrodt or his sister, Dalena Krueger. Table sponsorships may also still be available. If you can’t make, but still want to find out how you can support the event, you can call Brannon Dreibrodt at 830-305-6037.
