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The Greensville/Southampton Hokie Club and Alumni Chapter will hold its annual scholarship dinner on Sunday, July 28, at Golden Leaf Commons in Emporia, handing out Virginia Tech scholarships to six local students.

A club and alumni chapter news release notes that the scholarship program is named for a beloved local Hokie, Moses Clements, commemorating his dedicated work for years with the local Virginia Tech Scholarship Program.

Over the last 28-plus years, the Emporia Chapter has provided more than $70,000 in scholarships to local students starting their college experience at Virginia Tech.

Following are the six students receiving a $1,000 Virginia Tech scholarship this year: Christopher Cornwell, of Southampton High School; Laney Marshall Phillips, of Franklin High School; Addison Swenson, of Southampton High School; Dennis Brickell, of Greensville County High School; Daelyn Rose, a Meredith College transfer; and Allison Short, of Southside Virginia Community College.

“Our chapter is so proud to present these scholarships on July 28 to these outstanding students,” club officials stated in the release.

The first guest speaker for the evening will be Virginia Tech football announcer Mike Burnop, who will give an update on the much-anticipated six-game VT home football season to be held in Blacksburg in front of 66,000 fans. Burnop is a Hall of Fame tight end at Virginia Tech, and this year, he received the Virginia Sportscaster of the Year Award.

Evan Hughes will be a second Virginia Tech speaker. He is the winner of the 2021 Jim Nantz Award, which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding collegiate radio and TV sports broadcaster. Hughes is the voice of the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team along with the Virginia Tech baseball team.

The agenda for the July 28 scholarship dinner will start with a happy hour at 5 p.m. There will be a ribeye steak dinner at 6 p.m. followed by the scholarship presentations. 

During happy hour, there will be a raffle along with a large silent VT auction. The VT auction will include four Thursday night Virginia Tech-Boston College tickets with a parking pass along with a Coach Pry-autographed football, a Frank Beamer-autographed football and a Coach Young-autographed basketball. 

There will also be a raffle for a 55-inch TV to be given to one lucky person. 

The evening will conclude with an inside look at the 2024 Virginia Tech football program with Burnop, along with a Hughes recap of the 2024 women’s basketball season and baseball season with firsthand information on the new women’s basketball coach, Megan Duffy. 

Golden Leaf Commons is located at 1300 Greensville County Circle, Highway 301 North in Emporia.

The cost of the dinner includes different rates for adults; current students at VT and 2024 graduates; and attendees who are 18 years old and younger.

To learn more and to make a reservation for dinner, contact Mike Roach at Mike.Roach@perdue.com and send in a check and reservation to Greensville/Southampton Hokie Club c/o Mike Roach, 614 East Lane Drive, Emporia, Virginia, 23847 on or before July 18.

Sponsorships are available for dinner, social, bar and scholarship tables. 

For information or any event questions, contact Barry Grizzard at 804-724-1773 or bgrizzard@davenportenergy.com.