ISSUED: 19 August 2013
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The 12th annual Scarborough Society Gala netted almost $29,000 to support Shepherd University Scarborough Library activities, with nearly 300 invited guests attending the black-tie event at the Bavarian Inn August 9.
The presenting sponsors for the event were BB&T Wealth Management, represented by Marty and Marlyn Keesecker; Jefferson Security Bank, represented by Steve Morris; and Valley Proteins, Inc., represented by Mike and Wendy Smith. Millers Electric Company, Inc., represented by Gina Miller, sponsored the band, Souled Out. Other community sponsors included John Wolff, Capital Fiduciary Advisors; Jerry Williams, State Farm Insurance; Bowles Rice McDavid Graff and Love, LLC; CoxHollidaPrice, LLC; Skinner Law Firm; Smith Elliott Kearns and Co., LLC; and Thompson Gas. United Bank made a special donation to support this year’s affair. As guests took their seats for dinner, Marty Keesecker, vice president with BB&T Wealth Management in Martinsburg, as well as vice president of the Scarborough Society board of directors, thanked the crowd for its generous commitment to Shepherd’s library system.
“As a sponsor of the Scarborough Society Gala since its inception in 2001, BB&T is always honored to support Shepherd University in its mission to strengthen the Scarborough Library for the benefit of faculty, staff, students, and the Shepherd community,” he said.
Presenting sponsor Jefferson Security Bank has also been a longtime supporter of the popular summer social event, having sponsored the gala since 2004. Last year, the gala committee welcomed Valley Proteins, Inc., as a third presenting sponsor of the event.
The theme of this year’s gala was “Gone With the Wind.” A white carriage greeted guests at the entrance of the Bavarian Inn and a replica of Tara, created by Tom Neal and the Jefferson High School drama department, served as the backdrop for the photos on the patio. Inside, the tables were decorated with silver candelabras and crystal vases holding magnolias, along with commemorative “Gone With the Wind” plates. Music from the 1939 Academy Award-winning feature film adaptation added to the overall atmosphere of southern charm.
Ann Watson, dean of Scarborough Library, praised the Scarborough Society’s annual fundraising event for its innovation, appeal, and ongoing support.
“The Scarborough Society Gala is such a unique event because the theme is a major literary work, and it’s always such a success because everyone feels good about where the funds are going,” she said. “The Scarborough Society has been incredibly generous and supportive of the Scarborough Library over the years, and Shepherd students have benefited enormously from the organization’s direct contributions. Through the Scarborough Society’s generosity, the library has provided resources and technologies that we would not have otherwise been able to afford. I always tell people how fortunate the Scarborough Library is in having such an active, successful and wonderful group supporting it.”
Serving as table hosts were university faculty, administrators, alumni, and community members, including Ray and Mary Alvarez, Chris and Lauren Ames, John and Shelly Beatty, Jason Best and Sara Maene, Chris and Jody Carter, Enrico and Denise Caruso,Jerry and Susanne Horner, Bob and Beverly Hughes, Dick and Kathy Klein, Harrison and Vicki Lanham, Adam and Diane Link, Robert and Dolores Lowe, Al and Sara Lueck, Steve and Kathy Morris, Tony and Shelley Price, Suzanne Shipley and Randall Wadsworth, Mike and Wendy Smith, Jim and Mary Staley, Robert Walters and Gina Miller, Ann Watson, Paul and Lisa Welch, and John and Lisa Younis.
The Scarborough Society, sponsored by the Shepherd University Foundation, serves to support and strengthen the Shepherd University library system. Funds raised by the society provide information technology and other resources to Shepherd students, faculty, and friends.
Memberships in the organization are available on an annual basis and members’ names are engraved on a Wall of Honor located in the new addition to the Scarborough Library. Members receive library cards with special privileges and are placed on invitation lists for library lectures, book signings, musical events, seminars, and receptions.
Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Scarborough Society is encouraged to call the Shepherd University Foundation Office at 304-876-5397 or 800-344-5231, extension 5397.
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