Copperas Cove gala raises funds, honors education supporters

Copperas Cove’s Boots and Buckles Gala again turned a night at the Copperas Cove Civic Center into direct support for Copperas Cove ISD classrooms and student scholarships, building on last year’s total of more than $12,000 for teacher grants.

The Copperas Cove Education Foundation held the annual fundraiser at 1206 W Avenue B on April 11, pairing food, conversation, dancing, raffles, silent auctions and live-auction donations with a clear local goal: convert community giving into grants and scholarships for CCISD staff and students. The foundation, founded in early 2008, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit made up of local business and community leaders, parents and alumni, and district officials say 100% of donations are tax deductible and go to grant and scholarship opportunities.

That funding has added up over time. Copperas Cove ISD says the foundation has awarded Innovative Teaching Grants every year since it was created and has distributed more than $600,000 through that program alone since inception. Those grants are designed to help educators buy classroom materials and expand instruction that often falls outside district budgets, giving the gala a direct line from the civic center floor to local classrooms.

The evening also carried a recognition component through the foundation’s Hall of Honor, which celebrates graduates of Copperas Cove ISD who finished at least 10 years ago and later made outstanding contributions to their community or profession. This year’s honorees included Mike Wilburn and Donald Buckram Jr., names that carry weight in Copperas Cove and across the district.

Wilburn’s recognition drew added attention because of his long record in Copperas Cove schools. A local report in November 2025 said he spent 12 years as a student in Copperas Cove ISD, then returned to serve 36 years as an educator and administrator and 18 years on the board of trustees. His Hall of Honor induction linked the gala’s fundraising mission with a career that touched multiple generations of students and staff.

The foundation also uses its fundraising work beyond teacher grants. Copperas Cove ISD says it supports dual-credit scholarships, collegiate and technical-school scholarships, and an annual dinner recognizing the district’s Top 10% graduates and their most impactful teachers. The gala’s return to the civic center showed that Copperas Cove still relies on these kinds of gatherings to fund opportunities that directly reach local students and the people teaching them.