Late April collaborations of The River City Links (TRCL) with two local entities kicked off with a little bit of fanfare and lots of style.
Scholarship announcements at both the Collage Dance Collective and LeMoyne-Owen College made for a full day of generosity and goodwill for the distinguished ladies of TRCL on April 30.
“We only learned about a month ago that the Links would be partnering with us to support our work with young people,” said Kevin Thomas, co-founder and artistic director of Collage. “Of course, the other co-founder, Marcellus Harper, who is also executive director, was delighted as well.”
Thomas and Harper were asked to choose two deserving dance students to be recipients of scholarship funding, totaling $3,600 each, as part of the Links’ national Classics Through the Ages initiative.
The chosen two will use the funds to defray costs of attending summer dance training at the University of Utah.
“When I found out I was going to receive the scholarship award, mom and I were just crying tears of joy,” said Amor Williams, a sophomore at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. “I am excited about the summer training. It is one of the most prestigious dance programs. Of course, I am planning to dance professionally as a career.”
The other recipient is 17-year-old Noah Broadway, a junior at Crosstown High School. Broadway was unable to attend the presentation. The $3,600 check was the first of two checks allocated to Collage.
“This presentation today is designed to give young people in underserved communities access to classical arts through education,” said The River City Links President Vanecia Belser Kimbrow. “We are delighted to support local honor students who are extremely passionate and talented.”
The presentation comes on the heels of a $6,000 donation to the building fund of Collage’s new state-of-the-art edifice.
Later in the afternoon, Kimbrow and other representatives of the River City Links presented LeMoyne-Owen College and its new President Dr. Vernell A. Bennett-Fairs a check presentation along with a pledge of support.
“This presentation represents so many beautiful legacies in our organization,” said Kimbrow. “We have always partnered with LeMoyne-Owen College. It is our school. We are dedicated to our HBCU. We love our students, and we want to help you grow in any way we can. Also, we want to welcome you to our city and our school, President Bennett-Fairs.”
The Links, Incorporated is an international, nonprofit corporation established in 1946. The membership consists of more than 16,000 professional women of African descent in 292 chapters in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the United Kingdom.
It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of women, who are committed to supporting the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. The River City Links is one of 82 chapters in The Southern Area.
