If it’s April, that means members of the Sampson County Chapter of the North Carolina A&T Alumni Association are busy making plans for their fifth annual Gospel Scholarship Program. The benefit event is scheduled for Saturday, April 23, at Union Grove Church of Christ, located at 716 Lisbon St., Clinton, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

With the benefit to take place in just a few more days, event organizers want to get the word out so all local A&T alumni and supporters and community members at large can arrange to spend the Saturday evening on April 23, in an atmosphere of joyful sounds, the spoken words and spiritual inspiration, all for a good cause. Event organizers stated that “people who like gospel music will have an opportunity to listen to some of Sampson’s best gospel, including church choirs and soloists, while helping raise scholarship funds at the same time. It’s all for a good cause.”

According to the gospel program sponsors, admission to the event is free, but there will be a free will offering with the expectation that people will donate generously to this good cause. All proceeds will go to the alumni chapter’s scholarship funds to help deserving Sampson County students who wish to attend NC A&T in Greensboro. In conjunction with the annual benefit program, the local alumni chapter sponsors a raffle ticket sale with those proceeds supporting scholarships as well. The winners of the scholarship raffle will be announced the night of the scholarship benefit program.

Since the start of the local Sampson County alumni chapter, the emphasis has been on creating opportunities for local young people in pursuing their dreams, and the event sponsors would like to express their appreciation to whose who plan to attend and participate in the upcoming gospel event. They also made it a point to say, “supporters like you will allow us to provide scholarships for deserving students, and your 2016 support will allow us to continue helping other deserving local high school students in achieving their academic and professional aspirations.”

Organized in 2011 and officially chartered in December 2012, the Sampson County Chapter of the NC A&T Alumni wants to “be remembered for changing a student’s life because that’s what AGGIES DO!” Those persons who would like to join the Aggie family are encouraged to attend the monthly meetings on each second Monday at First Baptist, 900 College St., Clinton, at 6:30 p.m.

North Carolina A&T, one of the nation’s 19 historically black land-grant universities established by the Second Morrill Act passed by Congress in 1890, has been celebrating its 125th anniversary, with special events and activities, throughout the 2015-2016 school year. Just recently on March 24, the University observed Founders Day. While commenting on the 125th anniversary celebration, during an earlier event in the year, Chancellor Harold Martin stated, “This year we will celebrate the pride of our university — our rich history and traditions, the innovations and accomplishments of our students, alumni, faculty and staff — and look forward to our future of preeminence.”

For more information concerning the chapter’s Fifth Annual Gospel Scholarship Program, call 910-564-4717. To make a donation to the chapter’s scholarship fund, mail checks to Sampson County Chapter NC A&T Alumni, PO Box 2118, Clinton, NC 28329. Donations are tax deductible.

By Larry Sutton

For The Independent