TCC Foundation Raises Record Amount at Annual Vision Dinner

The Tulsa Community College Foundation broke an all-time fundraising record at the 2023 Vision Dinner, with more than $550,000 raised, including more than $125,000 for the Vision Dinner Scholarship fund. 

Vision Dinner raises funds every year to support students through scholarships, internships, new learning equipment and more, and recognizes leaders who champion education.  

This year’s event, co-chaired by Brenda and Curtis Dinan, occurred in early September at the Cox Business Convention Center in downtown Tulsa. It featured performances from the TCC Concert Choir, TCC Student String Quartet and an original, digital animation created by students and faculty. 

The 2023 honorees were Billie Barnett, a community leader and TCC Foundation trustee; Howard Barnett, business leader and former president of OSU-Tulsa; Pierce Norton, CEO of ONEOK; and Joshua Paredes, a TCC graduate and co-founder of “Don’t Clock Out”, a suicide prevention organization for healthcare workers. Paredes was the 2023 Momentum Award winner. 

“We are proud to honor these individuals who have shown, through their service and generosity, their dedication to education and the Tulsa community,” said Dr. Leigh Goodson, TCC president and CEO. “Our students are successful because our donors believe in the power of education and what TCC can do for this community. Ninety percent of TCC graduates stay in Tulsa, further strengthening our local workforce.” 

Attendees at Vision Dinner helped raise more than 80 scholarships worth $1,500 each during the Live Ask. Recipients of these scholarships are students outside of Tulsa County who do not qualify for the Tulsa Achieves Scholarship. 

“We doubled last year’s number of scholarships raised at Vision Dinner, while breaking attendance and fundraising records,” said Kari Shults, TCC vice president of advancement and TCC Foundation president. “This work is only possible through the community support and generosity of our donors.”