Thankful for continued support
Greetings from VCSU!
I hope you are enjoying the return of spring temperatures, longer days, and blue skies. The weather has certainly been welcome for all. Being able to spend some time outdoors taking care of some important spring cleaning, taking a walk, enjoying outdoor conversations with neighbors, and looking forward to the days ahead makes this a special time of year. The emergence of these warmer temperatures also allows for spring sports such as outdoor track and field, softball, baseball, and golf. Our students enjoy a return to competition. It’s always a pleasure to take in one of these contests in support of our student athletes.
The arrival of spring also includes the return of the annual VCSU Scholarship Auction. Planned for April 26 at the Valley City Eagles Club, this year’s event is entitled, “Get Groovy, Vikings!” Attendees are encouraged to dress in their favorite 70’s attire – bell bottoms, denim, platform shoes, tie-dye, disco – and the list goes on. I deeply appreciate the auction organizational committee and members of the V-500 and Viking Booster Board for their organizational efforts. The auction consistently provides an enjoyable and fun evening with the added benefit of providing important scholarship funds for our students.
The evening will begin with a social and games of chance at 5 p.m. A buffet dinner will be served from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the live auction begins at 7 p.m. The silent auction begins on April 22 at noon and continues through Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. We are grateful for the continued support of our students through the generous gifts and donations of our alumni and friends of the university. Because of this generosity, we awarded nearly $1.9 million in scholarships to students last year. This is made possible by the outstanding town and gown relationship that exists between our community and university, and we thank everyone for your support! Tickets can be secured by contacting members of the V-500 or Viking Booster board, or you may call (701) 845-7203 for assistance.
As I write this column, I can’t help but reflect on the tremendous growth in our development and foundation office over the past 28 years. Larry Robinson was hired as the first executive director of our foundation in 1996. The subsequent growth of the scholarship program at VCSU has been impressive and highly impactful on our success as an institution. We are excited and honored to announce the renaming of the Center for the Arts to the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts. We will be planning a formal and public ceremony in June to mark this special occasion and wish Larry and his family a happy and enjoyable retirement.
We hope to see you at the auction on April 26!
Go Vikings!