The 5^th Annual Andy Roddick Foundation Gala featuring Jimmy Buffet was a big success Saturday night. Hosted at the Austin Hilton, event attendees came from across the city and the U.S. to take part in an action-packed evening benefit that included a cocktail party, silent auction, live auction, dinner, celebrity sightings, and a concert with Jimmy Buffet and his Coral Reefer Band. All of the fun was for a great cause as, according to the Foundation’s website, the event raised more than $725,000 for youth programs, including Austin Partners in Education.

Andy Roddick welcomes guests at his Foundation's Gala in Austin last Saturday.

Andy Roddick and his wife Brooklyn Decker mingled with guests and offered up some crowd pleasing excitement with a live auction that included a U.S. Master’s Experience, a Sundance Film Festival package, a set visit to the hit TV show “The Office,” and silent auction items including autographed gear from Andy and other sports celebrities, VIP seating to a Spurs game and tournament/hotel packages to New York City and Paris.

Jimmy Buffet finished the evening with hundreds of attendees singing along to well known favorites. Everyone delighted in the surprise collaboration as John Legend joined Jimmy Buffet for an incredible duo. Earlier in the concert, Buffet picked four Gala attendees from the audience to join him on stage singing “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”

Supporting Austin Partners in Education at the event were: Wells Fargo Bank Presidents Don Kendrick, Mark Curry, Kathy Bolner, and Community Development Officer Theresa Alvarez, and guests.  From Seton Hospital, CEO Charles Barnett joined Senior Vice President Tom Gallagher, and Chair of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Post Office Carolyn Gallagher, KDK-Harman Foundation’s Janet Harman and family, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation’s Virginia Ballato, and AISD’s Shirley Heitzman, along with Burson-Marsteller’s Global Vice-Chair Karen Hughes,  Austin Strategic Planning’s Meg Moore, Runtex Owner Paul Carrozza, Time Warner’s Nancy Fitzgerald and KEYE’s President /General Manager Amy Villarreal with their guests.

Several members of APIE staff assisted as volunteers with the event’s registration, and the silent and live auctions.

All of us at Austin Partners in Education were thrilled to be part of the magical evening and send our sincere congratulations and best wishes to Andy, his family, and the Foundation for their continued commitment to at-risk youth.

In 2001, one year after turning pro tennis player, Andy Roddick began a charitable foundation dedicated to “Serving Children Today for Tomorrow.” The goal of the Andy Roddick Foundation is to improve the quality of life and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all children based on the principles of respect for family, education, and morality. The Foundation’s vision is to provide a culture where all children have a support system allowing them to have hope for a bright future.

 In addition to benefitting Austin Partners in Education, the Roddick Foundation Gala also supports KIPP: Austin Public Schools, A Glimmer of Hope, The Settlement Home for Children, and Roddick’s Youth Tennis programs.

See the Foundation’s website news to learn more and see Gala photos.