Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU for all of your support surrounding Fall Fiesta: Welcome to the Jungle of Tikal. We hope you had as much fun as we did (and we had a lot of fun). Let’s recap a few of the new features that made this (dare we say it) the BEST FALL FIESTA YET:

6. New Venue: Paul Brown Stadium was classy, fun and had a stellar view of downtown Cincinnati. We’re going to chalk this one up as a victory. Plus, if you had a little forethought, you could sneak down to the locker room and wait for the Bengals players to show up… that’s not creepy, that’s being a good fan!

And this was while it was still light outside—once evening hit…wow!

5. New Fashion Statement: Everyone got into the bow tie spirit at Fall Fiesta, and rocked it like there was no tomorrow! It didn’t hurt that BowTie Cause’s Dhani Jones was present to help tie one on. Check out our very own Joe Berninger chat with Fox19 and Dhani about CoEd’s custom bow tie. Upset that you haven’t snagged one yet? Click here to order yours!

4. New Game: The universally beloved tailgating game got a face lift–Jungle Corn Hole Toss was a success, and guests walked away with prizes between $10 and $160 in value. Score!

Look at that form!

3. New Auction Table: The Spotlight Table was an attention-grabber and helped highlight some of our best silent auction items of the night. From LASIK surgery to a Cincy Brew Tour, the Spotlight Table had it all!

2. New Friends: We got to see so many new faces at Fall Fiesta (including the aforementioned Dhani Jones!), and welcomed old and new friends from across the globe (yup – people came from other countries for Fall Fiesta this year!). Thank you to everyone who traveled near and far to be at the event—we cherish this time to reconnect with our most ardent supporters and to welcome new guests.

Two guests of honor – Ancelma Ortiz and Dhani Jones

We even had the chance to introduce you all to Ancelma Ortiz, a CoEd program graduate who traveled all the way from Guatemala to share her story and encourage you to support other students just like her. You all took her challenge seriously, which brings us to our next point...

1. New Record Breaking Amount Raised: Thanks to your generosity and support, we have officially joined the six figure club, and in a big way…

We shattered our previous Fall Fiesta record by raising MORE THAN $140,000!!! We’re still in shock!!! Exclamation points!!! This was a truly spectacular end to a truly spectacular event, and we couldn’t be happier.

As Ancelma said at the end of her speech on Saturday, mil gracias (a thousand thanks) to all of you for your generosity and continued support of CoEd. This event would not be possible without the volunteers, guests and sponsors who give of their time, talent, and treasure, and we appreciate all that you do for the children of Guatemala.

What was your favorite part of Fall Fiesta?