Hundreds of Katy ISD campus volunteers, along with district officials and community leaders, crowded the Merrell Center, 6301 S. Stadium Lane in Katy on May 2 for the district’s annual salute to its volunteers. Visitors were greeted by the Katy High School Drumline and welcomed by mascots from many of the schools.

The breakfast event – themed “Rise” -- was hosted by the Volunteers in Public Schools executive board and the Katy ISD Partners in Education Department and honored “Volunteers of the Year” from each Katy ISD campus. Volunteers also provided custom decorations supporting the “Rise” theme, from hot air balloons in the entry way to unique centerpieces at each table.

Following a welcome from Superintendent Ken Gregorski, Sarah McLeod, chair of the Volunteers in Public Schools executive board, said that district volunteers contributed over 900,000 hours of volunteer time to the district, at an estimated value of $13.5 million.

The keynote address was delivered by local Fox 26 news anchor Rashi Vats, a Houston native who is also a Katy ISD parent and community advocate. Vats spoke on “Learning to Rise through Service,” urging volunteers to find their passion; she also related details of her favorite news story, which involved the Katy community coming together in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

The celebration also included performances from the Tompkins High School SoundFX, who sang “Defying Gravity,” and from the Memorial Parkway Junior High School Mixed Choir, with their moving rendition of “Rise Up.” Katy ISD cheerleaders and mascots also performed to “Shake It Off.”