Family Feud fundraiser

Jeremy Fast, center, who participated on the real “Family Feud” earlier this year, hosted the event for Crowder College.

Ralph Pokorny

The first ever Family Feud Crowder Style fundraiser Saturday night was a success, with six families participating before a crowd of about 250 people in the Ella Maxwell Center for the Performing Arts.

“I was really pleased,” Monte Padgett, director for Nevada’s Crowder campus, said Monday.

He said all the families who participated seemed to have a good time and Jeremy Fast, who hosted the show, did an excellent job.

Phil Couch, left, thinks about an answer to a survey question from Jeremy Fast during the Fast Money round.

Ralph Pokorny

All of the money raised will go toward local scholarships, he said, adding that he was pleased with the support from the local businesses that donated baskets and other items for the program.

Padgett said the committee that worked on the fundraiser would meet shortly and discuss how the program went and work out the few technical issues that arose before next year.

This year’s contestants were: The Alexander family, Jamie, Patti, Shawna Erwin, Jerod and Katie Brauer; The Wilson Family, Kenny, Kayla, Mary Ann and Julie Grant; The Hughes Family, Bob, Sue, Lincoln, Lara and Trenton Johnson; The Scism Family, Shearl, Tearl Edwards, Malori Ast, Trey Ast and Savanna Morris; The Wynn Family, Andy Smith, Mean Smith, Kristen Miller, Bill and Cindy; and The Couch Family, Staci Andersen, Jill, Phil, Maddie Kirby and Riley Gordon.

The Wynn family celebrate getting a steal. From left: Jeremy Fast, host, Andy Smith, Megan Smith, Kristen Miller, Cindy and Bill Wynn.

Ralph Pokorny

When asked how they decided on doing a Family Feud show, Padgett said they started working on doing some kind of fundraiser about the time the Fast family’s episodes on the Family Feud ran. He said the group of about 20 people working on the project were suggesting ideas, when Tammy Hendren came up with the idea of the Family Feud.

Crowder College is a two-year college with its main campus in Neosho, Mo., and additional campuses in Cassville, Joplin, McDonald County, Monett, Nevada and Webb City.

Since the Nevada campus opened in 1999, there have been 1,100 graduates and this semester there are 363 students ranging in age from 16 to 83 enrolled, Padgett said.