Shenandoah University hosted its first major event in the new James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center on Saturday, April 7, “An Evening Under the Stars,” a gala to raise funds for scholarships. More than 500 guests from across the region and 235 students participated in this invitation-only event, the first community event of its kind in this facility.
By the end of the evening, Senior Vice President and Vice President for Advancement Mitch Moore announced the event had raised more than $1 million in support of scholarships.
Shenandoah University promised an incomparably dazzling and magical spring evening filled with surprises, world-class performances by our All-Steinway Shenandoah Conservatory, special guest appearances, and the dedication of the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center — all to benefit student scholarships.
Guests were welcomed by spectacular dance and show-stopping cabaret performances; dined to world-class presentations by the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and Choirs; and danced the night away to high-energy jazz and Latin rhythms by an all-star lineup of some of the region’s finest musicians.
Guests celebrated the grand opening of the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center and helped students in need by raising over a million dollars in scholarships at this unforgettably delightful evening under the stars.
Gala Sponsors
These generous donations help fund student scholarships.
With the support of these sponsors, and other financial aid, Shenandoah students have the lowest individual debt load at any small, private college or university in Virginia, according to LendEDU, allowing them to begin their careers without the overwhelming debt burden that so many students today face.
Shenandoah Stars — $100,000
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Veatch
President’s Circle — $50,000
Claude Moore Charitable Foundation
Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc.
Dean’s Circle — $25,000
BB&T
Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons and Mr. J. Knox Singleton
William A Hazel, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Milt Peterson
Shenandoah Ambassadors — $10,000
Mr. and Mrs. Steven E. Cluss
Earl Swensson Associates, Inc. (ESa)
Dr. Tanveer and Dr. M. Yaqub Mirza
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (Shentel)
Dr. and Mrs. Mark E. Stavish
Sterling Management Group, Inc.
Uffect Corp and Strange Labs (CEO Heather Umberger)
Mr. and Mrs. John Marlow
Hornet Ambassadors — $5,000
Aikens Group
Annandale Millwork & Allied Systems Corporation
BCWH Inc.
Dr. Laura N. Dabinett and Dr. Russell B. McKelway
Dr. Miles Davis and Dr. Naomi Pitcock
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew U. Ferrari
Frogale Lumber Supply
Fund Evaluation Group, LLC (FEG)
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Helm
Mr. and Mrs. Philip B. Glaize, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John P. Lewis
MTM Builder/Developer, Inc.
MVB Bank, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. Ohrstrom
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Stokely, Jr.
United Bank
Valley Health System
Ms. Heather H. Wilson
Winchester Ciderworks
Mr. and Mrs. Alan L. Wurtzel
Perry Engineering Company, Inc.
Karin’s Florist
Take One Production
Sodexo
Donors of $25,000 or more to the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center
Mr. and Mrs. Walter H. Aikens
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Alizzi
Mr. Mike Allen
Ms. Justine Allen Barrow
Mr. and Mrs. Erik L. Beatley
Mrs. C. J. Borden
Beverley B. Byrd
Mr. and Mrs. Harry F. Byrd III
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas T. Byrd
Mr. and Mrs. Steven D. Cusick
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce E. Downing
Mr. and Mrs. Gene L. Frogale
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Frogale
Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. Glaize III
Mr. and Mrs. John B. Hackett
Dr. and Mrs. W. Jackson Helm
Mr. and Mrs. David B. Holliday
The Kern Family
Mr. and Mrs. John K. Marlow
Mr. and Mrs. Mark H. Merrill
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Michael Perry
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald V. Shickle
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald F. Smith, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Stokely, Jr.
Jim Stutzman Chevrolet-Cadillac Co.
and the Stutzman Family
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Vickers
Ms. Barbara E. Wickerham and Dr. E. Kent Mull
The James R. Wilkins Charitable Trust
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Wilkins, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Wilkins III
Toan and Associates, LLC
United Bank
100+
areas of study
3,844
students
150
international
students from
67 countries
25
years
of economic
strength
20
athletic
conference
championships
Virginia’s only
top-tier
private national
university
(U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Colleges Edition)
Home to the
Shenandoah
Center for
Immersive
Learning,
which enriches learning through augmented and virtual reality technology
81%
of 2017 graduates
employed or pursuing
further education
The 77,000-square-foot James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center, which officially opened in January 2018, features 63,000 square feet of fieldhouse space. The center is home to the men’s and women’s basketball programs, volleyball, and indoor track and field, and provides practice space for all 21 sports offered at Shenandoah University. It seats 1,600 for athletic events and nearly 5,000 for large university and community events.