ROME, Ga. – Every year Berry College sets aside one night to honor the generous donors who have given financially to student scholarships. This year’s 18th annual dinner hosted 383 donors and recipients for an evening of entertainment, speakers and fellowship, but with a new twist and a red carpet.
Per tradition, students lined the main entrance to campus holding candles to welcome guests to the very special night. Once seated in the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center, the evening began with a welcome from Barry Griswell, a Berry alumnus and chair of the Board of Trustees.
An invocation by senior Alex Sanchez kicked off dinner and the Berrytones performed songs inspired by the theme of the evening, stars, closed the meal.
Senior political science major Momo Abdellatif (of Rome, Ga.) and senior communication major Alexi Bell (of Lexington, Ky.) took over as student hosts for the evening thanking their Gate of Opportunity donors for their support of the Berry mission.
“The mission of our founder, Martha Berry, is instilled in us for thinking with our heads, leading with our hearts and working with our hands,” Bell said.
Bell traveled to a few tables interviewing students and donor pairs about their scholarships including the Wanda Lou Bumpus Scholarship, the Judy Lane Gilbert Gate of Opportunity Scholarship and the Ted Touchstone Endowed Work Scholarship. Students had the opportunity to thanks their donors on a more personal level while audience members were able to hear from multiple students and donors to hear their stories.
Griswell closed the evening by thanking the guests in attendance and recognizing the hard work that students continue to put into the evening to make this a special night.
“We celebrate our love of Berry and the common bonds and experiences we share as students, faculty, staff and alumni. It’s a time when we recognize mentors who have made a difference in our lives and acknowledge those in the larger Berry community who support student scholarships,” Griswell said.###
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