On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) and the Lake Oconee Academy Foundation (LOAF) hosted their annual fundraising event, Denim & Diamonds at Collins Farm in Greensboro, GA. The event attracted over 550 attendees who gathered to enjoy a night filled with good friends, good food, good times, and an incredible amount of generosity. From ticket sales, sponsorships, and raffles to the silent and live auctions, this year’s Denim & Diamonds raised over $293,000 for the Lake Oconee Academy Foundation. This achievement surpasses all previous years, making this the largest amount of funds ever raised by one single LOA benefit event.

“I am beyond proud to have been part of planning this extraordinary event,” said Kendra Van Mol, Lake Oconee Academy Foundation Director of Development. “I have a deep appreciation for this school, community, and Titan Family. Our sponsors, volunteers, and attendees were all amazing, and their generosity has been overwhelming. One of my favorite moments from the evening was seeing the Titan Tower live auction item sell for $8,000. Alongside, of course, the delicious food and the Titan Ranch flash mob. I believe this year’s event brought an energy and excitement we’ve never experienced before. With everyone’s support and involvement, we were truly able to bring our best!”

Denim & Diamonds was largely made possible by a team of volunteers made up of business owners, community members, LOA faculty, and parents. They devoted many hours of their time in preparation, including set-up of the venue and silent auction, hand-made decor, and raffle ticket sales. Their hard work is a testament to the level of community support required to bring an event like Denim & Diamonds to fruition.

“On behalf of the Lake Oconee Academy Foundation and my entire faculty and staff, I would like to thank everyone who contributed in any way to make the 2023 Denim & Diamonds a special event. A huge thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Todd Collins who allowed us to use their beautiful home and property. I would also like to thank Denim & Diamonds Title Sponsors, Juturna, Bughouse Pest Control and Aalto Scientific, Ltd., and Platinum VIP Cocktail Sponsor, BankSouth as well as all of our incredible sponsors for their tremendous generosity. Finally, I would like to recognize Kendra Van Mol, Teresa Sitler, Event Co-
Chair, and their team of volunteers for their dedication and hard work in making our event a huge success,” noted Dr. Otho Tucker, CEO of LOA.

LOAF is a non-profit organization committed to enriching the educational experience of every LOA student. As the school population continues to grow, the mission of the LOAF is to support this growth through new classroom buildings, fine arts programming, scholarship opportunities, and everything in between to offer the best educational experience. Hence why the theme of this year’s Denim & Diamonds was, “Bring Your Best!”  With profits from this year’s events, the LOAF approved $200,000 worth of needs for the school and students – Including, but not limited to, new marching band uniforms, drill team uniforms, various athletic uniforms, new sheet music, art supplies and literature programs.

In previous years, LOAF has raised funds to provide LOA students with 6,000+ library books, a piano lab, equipment for broadcasting, technology, band/musical theatre licenses, costumes, technology, athletic equipment, an upper elementary playground, visual arts supplies for honors and AP programs, travel scholarships for international study programs, new athletic fields, and most recently, the campus expansion which included the completion of a new Fine Arts Building.

Denim & Diamonds 2024 is set to take place on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at Collins Farm.

To learn more about LOAF visit LakeOconeeAcademy.org. For a complete list of Denim & Diamonds contributors or to learn more about the event, kindly visit DenimAndDiamondsLO.com.