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Academy hosted its 44th Charlie David Dinner in support of Viking athletics on September 25. During the school day, setup began in Lazarus courtyard, held between the Dining Hall and Upper/Middle School buildings. At five o’clock, the festivities began.
The event featured two main elements: the dinner itself and the boardwalk.
The Boardwalk was held in the Jones Gymnasium and is always run by CA’s Service Board. It was held outside a few times after Covid-19, maintaining safe practices while keeping the fun going, but the Jones is perfect because of the lack of concerns regarding the weather. This year there were 12 stations, hosted by 12 different clubs and organizations. Each Station has a special game or activity.
A few staples include BOS’s (Black Organization of Students) ‘Donut on a String’ and Service Board’s balloon animals. Many clubs rotate throughout the event, including J511 (Journey 5:11), the Christian affinity group that had the photo booth, EAST (East Asian Students Together), who had other fun games, and JAG (Jewish Affinity Group), who did a fantastic job with face painting.
Originally, the Service Board hosted this event.
Ms. Bening said, “The Service Board used to raise all of its own money.” This changed when the Galbreath family donated a large sum of money, which allowed us to have our own income stream without ties to tuition and to continue doing things that met the needs of the community. Following this, the boardwalk became an event for clubs and affinity groups to raise money.
Clubs and affinity groups are student-run, with the assistance of an adult advisor. It is an opportunity to bring joy to the Academy community and raise money for their own club’s use. This year’s success is attributed to Service Board, the Clubs, and our Affinity Groups involved. Bening also noted that Service Board member and Shaper, Noah Berg’27, deserves a special thank you for all of his work, saying, “He has been amazing.”
Eight food trucks included burgers and fries, a teriyaki chicken bowl, chicken tenders and fries from Cane’s, and tacos from Dos Hermanos.
Back in 1982, a family chicken dinner, was headed by Mr. Charlie David, an enthusiastic parent and supporter of Viking athletics. After his passing, the event was named in his memory. Now, the dinner is a fundraising event run by PACA (Parents Association of Columbus Academy).
With raffles offering sports equipment signed by teams, private lessons from coaches, and other intriguing prizes, the fundraiser’s impact on Academy’s 23 athletic teams continues to be substantial. CA’s boys and girls varsity tennis coach, Preston Eberlyn, said: “The funds that come from Charlie David help pay for our tennis trips and the many, many tennis balls we use up.” It also pays for their uniforms.
Aside from athletics, the dinner is the first time of the year that the entirety of CA gets together. “It’s a real opportunity for people who may not come out here very often to meet some of the people,” said Bening. The seniors get a chance to greet the parents of their K-buddies, and teachers and families can meet outside the classroom’s formality.
Additionally, “Hundreds, hundreds, hundreds” of people are involved in running the dinner. The maintenance staff sets up tables and signs, students volunteer at the boardwalk, and countless people contribute their time for its success. ”It’s not only about the money,” Bening added. “It’s really about having everybody come together for something that’s fun.”
Sophomore Mihika M., who has attended CA for 11 years and the dinner for four years, said she enjoyed “engaging with my friends, having fun at the boardwalk, and really enjoying CA community life.” She emphasized its importance, especially now, when seeing “everyone come together in a cross-cultural, cross-school, diverse array of people at the boardwalk.”
As the dinner came to a close, the Vikings football team electrified the night with a lights-out defeat of the Bexley Lions (20-0) for the tenth consecutive year. The stands echoed with cheers and laughter from a connected CA community—the result of yet another successful Charlie David Dinner.
