By Morgan Robertson, 11 January 2022
To kick off the new year some of the (Republican) LEAP Ambassadors spent the final night of winter break volunteering and attending the annual Reagan Dinner (while other LEAP Ambassadors attended a World Affairs Council event), which featured Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller. We coordinated with the College Republicans and Linda McKenzie to determine our roles, familiarized ourselves with the layout…
… and began welcoming people. With Mario, Erin, and myself signing people in, and Hunter, Jessica, and Yvette escorting, we quickly found a rhythm as the crowd steadily increased.
Everyone seemed to enjoy perusing the silent auction put on by the Walker County Republican Women and placing bids on all the delicious desserts. As people bid, socialized and enjoyed each other’s company, we were impressed by the community spirit found in Walker County.
Linda McKenzie, the County Chair, began the evening by expressing her gratitude for everyone in attendance and introducing all of the Council members and candidates.
Annel Guadalupe led everyone in prayer, and following that, I was honored to say the pledges for the night.
We were all graciously invited to sit with different table sponsors, including Judge Hal Ridley, Linda and Jim McKenzie, and Congressmen Kevin Brady. Hunter, Jessica, Yvette, and I were fortunate enough to sit with Attorney Jack and Choate and District Attorney Will Durham. We had great conversations, and we enjoyed learning from people who excel in their careers.
One of the conversation pieces was how wonderful the food was–food catered by Humphreys American Grill. After the LEAP Ambassadors and College Republicans finished eating, we made our way over to the silent auction table, and we and began distributing the desserts to the highest bidders.
Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller was the guest speaker for the dinner.
He highlighted a few very interesting stories from his career and mentioned all that his department oversees–including, oddly enough, the weighing of ping pong balls!
Commissioner Miller also emphasized the importance of events like these and how important it is to the community. We were even fortunate enough to snap a picture with him!
As the evening ended, all of the councilmembers and candidates posed for a picture with Commissioner Miller, and several thanked him for his time and speech.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 