The University Gala — appropriately themed “Baker Magic”— featured a hired magician who dazzled the crowd Saturday with a series of deceiving card and coin tricks.

Sleight of hand was not a requisite for the real magic of the elegant evening, however.

No, the most memorable display was when the Hyatt Regency ballroom collectively removed its checkbooks and found $85,000 to donate to Baker’s scholarship fund.

“We are so, so fortunate,” Chief Operating Officer Susan Lindahl said. “This exceeds what we’ve done previously at the Gala.”

The donation portion of the evening came on the heels of University President Pat Long’s announcement that Andrew and Peggy Cherng, owners of the Panda Restaurant Group, would match the night’s donations up to $50,000.

“The Cherng’s are Baker alumni and own Panda Express, Panda Inn and the Hibachi-San,” Long said. “Their gift will help tremendously.”

Lindahl said preliminary estimations indicate the amount of money raised — including the silent auction at the beginning of the evening — totaled around $135,000.

“The really neat thing about it is that when people heard about the Gala, more and more people have come by the advancement office to donate,” Lindahl said. “The gifts are continuing to grow.”

The rest of the night focused on those who receive the scholarships.

Senior Andrew Patch and Director of Marketing Joanne Tolkoff presented a video they produced highlighting a few Baker students. The poignant documentary was well-received by the donors, which consisted of Baker alumni, past and present Board of Trustees members, administrators and a select group of students and staff.

One alumnus who played a large role in the Gala was former KNBU-FM personality and current traffic reporter for KMBC-9 News, Johnny Rowlands.

Rowlands emceed the donation process and performed a simulation of his morning air traffic reports per the request of the Gala crowd.

"It was just a wonderful night," Long said, smiling. "The people in that room care so much about Baker University." <br/>