With a $15,000 bid, Susan McClure of Paducah established at the 2008 Gala Auction an endowed scholarship in memory of her husband and former Paducah Community College Athletic Director Tony McClure.

The 2008 Gala Scholarship Auction raised more than $120,000 for the scholarship program at West Kentucky Community & Technical College September 4.

It was the first time the annual event was held at Harrah's Hotel and Conference Center in Metropolis. The move didn't keep more than 350 people from attending the silent and live auction.

The top donations for the evening included a $20,000 anonymous donation and a bid by Susan McClure of Paducah that was matched by the Hannah Supply Company in the "Name Your Own Endowment" category. McClure's bid will establish an endowed scholarship in memory of her husband, Tony McClure, who died in February.

A native of Covington, Ga., Tony McClure was a Paducah Community College professor from 1974 until 2000. While at PCC he served as Athletic Director, Girls and Boys Basketball Coach, and Baseball coach. He was instrumental in starting Girls Basketball at PCC in 1976, and was named Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year in the Seventh Region in 1986. His wife attended the college from 1976-1978 and played basketball for him.

Susan McClure said she and her husband continued to support the college over the years. Their two children, including a son who is currently enrolled in an architectural program at the University of Kentucky, both took classes at the local college. McClure said her husband loved the college. "He would be so proud to know he's going to be helping students and helping the (college) and higher education."

McClure will assist in establishing criteria for the scholarship in honor of her husband. She said she is leaning toward providing scholarships for nursing students. Her mother was a nurse, but McClure said she was especially thankful for the care her husband received when he was ill. She said many of the nurses who cared for her husband had received their training at the local college.

More than 350 attended the September 4, 2008 Gala in Metropolis, IL

The gala was organized by Paducah Junior College, Inc., the foundation of WKCTC. The live auction, which was conducted by businessman Louis Michelson and former WPSD executive John Willliams, featured such items as a week's stay in a villa in Salernes, France; a three-night stay in downtown Chicago; numerous pieces of original art by local artists and a golf trip to central Florida.

All proceeds raised help to fund the college's scholarship program, which last year awarded $270,000 to students.

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This year marks the fifth year anniversary of the consolidation of Paducah Community College and West Kentucky Tech to form West Kentucky Community & Technical College

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