Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LaGrange and Troup County residents gathered at Great Wolf Lodge for the second annual Mayor’s Christmas Ball on Saturday night.

The event was created last year at the suggestion of the late Mayor Willie T. Edmondson, who wanted to host a gathering at Christmastime to bring the community together and also help raise scholarship funds for kids who need a little help going to college.

The ball was a total success. The totals are still being tallied, but organizers say this year’s event raised even more money than last year’s event.

The event saw similar numbers of attendees as the previous year. Still, the biggest boon was the inclusion of an online auction where donated items were auctioned off during the ball. The online auction itself raised about $10,000, said Communications Manager Katie Van Schoor, who helped organize the event.

“I’m grateful we’re able to provide this wonderful event not only to honor the legacy of our late mayor, Willie T. Edmondson but to raise money for such a wonderful cause, providing scholarships for high school seniors that need a little help going to college,” Van Schoor said.

Van Schoor said the recipients of three of the four scholarships are selected by the school system based on academic performance and need. The other scholarship will go to a LaGrange Youth Council member based on their participation and need.

“Willie T. really wanted to help those kids who may need a little help get to college,” Van Schoor said.

The ball was hosted by current Mayor Jim Arrington, who is carrying on the tradition in Edmondson’s honor.

“He was such good friends with Willie, so this was a labor of love. It was a lot of work, but a lot of great people who made it happen. We were excited that Faye Edmondson, Willie’s widow, was there, and we were able to honor her as well as his family,” Van Schoor said.

“As a husband, father, cousin, uncle and brother, Willie left a legacy for each one, and this scholarship fund tonight is one of his legacies,” Arrington said.

“Supporting our young people is extremely important to me. If we invest in our youth, we can feel good about our future,” said Arrington. “Willie was my good friend, and I wanted to make sure we hosted the Mayor’s Christmas Ball this year to honor his legacy and continue this wonderful tradition of supporting our young leaders in Troup County.”