Blue Jay spirit was high Friday evening at the Hotel Pattee, as the ballroom was packed with attendees for the “Go Big, Go Blue” event.

The celebration was a fundraiser for the Dewey Field renovation, and people from all around the City turned up to help fund the project. The evening began with a social hour, where the hotel offered samples from their new menu. Raccoon Valley Radio’s Shawn Kenney then served as emcee for the evening, and gave a brief background on the project and what it means to Perry. He then handed the mic over to Superintendent Clark Wicks who spoke briefly about the fundraising efforts so far, which had climbed above $150,000 before the evening began.

Next, Activities Director Tom Lipovac spoke about the individuals the athletic complex is named after, and emphasized the importance of remembering the generosity of the Perry community. Finally High School Principal Dan Marburger talked about how the new field will affect nearly every student in the district in one way or another. Following the speeches, auctioneer Amy Rathje conducted the live action, starting with services provided by high school students. The big ticket item of the evening was a Chef’s Table and one night stay at the Hotel Pattee, which fetched a $2,300 price tag. Additionally, there was a silent auction held throughout the evening, with the largest winning bid being $510 for a one-of-a-kind Perry-themed sign from Betsy Peterson Designs.

Organizers were pleased with the turnout for “Go Big, Go Blue,” and were overwhelmed by the amount of support provided by the attendees.