Elizabeth City State University Foundation Founders Day Scholarship Gala XIV Goes Virtual

The Founders Day Scholarship Gala is making history as the first time the event will be entirely virtual. Due to the ongoing safety precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be held entirely online in an interactive, virtual format. 

On Saturday, March 13, gala guests will have the opportunity to participate in all of the anticipated revelry, from their home computers. From the virtual lobby reception, to the Chancellor’s Legacy Awards presentation, to an interactive party featuring a DJ and live entertainment, this Founders Day Scholarship Gala will be one for the history books. 

“Vikings are resilient and during these challenging times, we knew that the Founders Day Scholarship Gala must go on,” said ECSU Foundation board chairman, Dr. Peter Eley. “Thanks to the virtual technology we have all come to rely upon each day, we are able to safely celebrate 130 years of ECSU’s rich history, as well as 50 years of generous support from the ECSU Foundation.”

The gala is the ECSU Foundation’s biggest annual fundraising event. This year’s goal, according to Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Anita Walton, is $100,000. Tickets for the virtual event are $125 each, and a variety of sponsorship levels are available to help raise funds for general scholarships.

“Although this year’s event is different from any other in the history of the gala, we are encouraged by the enthusiasm Vikings are expressing for this virtual format,” said Ms. Walton. “It is more important than ever that we step forward and show our support for the continued excellence in higher education ECSU provides these students.”

This year’s Legacy honorees will give pre-recorded acceptance speeches. The Chancellor’s Legacy Award recipients are: Mary L. Cates, Class of 1961; Dr. Laura Walton Buffaloe, Class of 1965;  Col. Richard Harrison, Class of 1994; and Larry Johnson, Class of 1973, along with the ECSU 1971-72 CIAA Championship Football Team that will be recognized in remembrance of this historic win.

Also during the evening, a virtual photobooth and virtual background will be available to guests. Door prizes will be awarded –  a weekend stay at a beach house in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and passes to the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina to name a few. Guest’s will also receive a gala souvenir for their support. 

Tickets to the gala can be purchased HERE.Once a ticket is purchased, guests will be sent a link to the event, giving them access to an evening of celebration and fun. 

For more information about the gala, an FAQ page can be found HERE.