Gala raises money for QC Foundation, vets center, USO of Illinois

three women holding two oversized checks
Jackie Inman, USO of Illinois; Maureen Dickinson, BHC QC Foundation; and Marceia Duhm, BHC Veterans Resource Center

The Black Hawk College Quad-Cities Foundation’s first-ever Telling Our Stories Gala on Nov. 17 raised more than $12,000.

The BHC QC Foundation partnered with the BHC Veterans Resource Center and USO of Illinois for the event. Foundation executive director Maureen Dickinson recently presented checks to these organizations.

The BHC Veterans Resource Center – represented by Marceia Duhm, coordinator of career and veterans services – received $478 that will support veterans and military students at Black Hawk College.

USO of Illinois – represented by Jackie Inman, Rock Island Center director – received $2,000 that will support local military families with programs and resources at the center.

The foundation’s share of the proceeds benefited the Black Hawk Excellence Fund, a newly created fund eligible for a 50% match from The Moline Foundation through the Community Endowment Challenge.

More than 150 people attended the 1940s-themed gala.

The foundation’s board hopes to build upon this event next year, selecting different community partners and BHC programs as collaborators each year.