Bo knows fundraisers. Two-sport all-star at the Trine Gala

FILE – Former MLB and NFL player Bo Jackson watches Auburn and Clemson practice before an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Auburn, Alabama. (` Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

ANGOLA, Ind. (WANE) This February, Trine University will host its 20th annual scholarship gala and a man considered by many to be one of the greatest athletes of all time will be in attendance.

Bo Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy as a running back for Auburn University in 1985 and later played in the NFL and for several Major League Baseball teams, will be among those in attendance at the gala. It was the centerpiece of one of Nike’s most memorable advertising campaigns; “Bo knows.”

Since its inception, the Scholarship Gala has raised millions for scholarships for Trine University students, including more than $1 million in each of the past three years. Scholarship funds are a critical component of enabling students to participate in Trine, which awarded more than $48 million in institutional support in 2022-23.

This year’s gala will take place on February 10th. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Keith E. Busse/Steel Dynamics, Inc. Athletic Recreation Center on Trine’s Angola campus.

The university is offering the opportunity to fund $500 Books and Beyond scholarships during the gala. Contributions to the Books and Beyond scholarship program directly benefit financially disadvantaged students and enable them to purchase needed books, computers, school and laboratory supplies, and meals. The funds will also allow students to settle a modest account balance that will allow them to register for courses next semester.

Trine’s CEO and alumnus, Dr. Rick L. James, and his wife, Dr. As has been the case for several years, Vicki L. James and the James Foundation, Inc. offer a matching grant for Books and Beyond scholarships. This year it will be $300,000.

“Vicki and I always look forward to the Scholarship Gala because it is both a very entertaining event and a great way to help Trine University students obtain a quality, career-focused education,” said Rick James. “We look forward to hearing what Bo Jackson has to say and are proud to once again be a part of this effort to support Trine and his students.”