The 11th annual Scarborough Society Gala, held August 10 at the Bavarian Inn, Shepherdstown, netted almost $24,000 to support the Shepherd University Scarborough Library. A full house of 260 invited guests attended the black-tie event. The theme for this year’s event was The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel.
The presenting sponsors for the evening of dinner and dancing were BB&T Wealth Management, represented by John and Shelly Beatty; Jefferson Security Bank, represented by Steve and Kathy Morris; and Valley Proteins, Inc., represented by Mike and Wendy Smith. Millers Electric Company, Inc. sponsored the band, “Souled Out,” and was represented by Bob and Gina Miller. Other community sponsors included John Wolff, Capital Fiduciary Advisors; Jerry Williams, State Farm Insurance; Bowles, Rice, McDavid, Graff, and Love, LLC; CoxHollidaPrice, LLC; Smith, Elliott, Kearns, and Co., LLC; and United Bank.
A longtime supporters of the event, Steve Morris, president and CEO of Jefferson Security Bank, and John Beatty, senior vice president and city executive with BB&T, have sponsored the Scarborough Gala since 2001. This year, the gala committee welcomed Valley Proteins, Inc., as a presenting sponsor of the event. The three generation family-owned business, located in Winchester, Virginia, is a truly green company committed to providing ecologically-sound service to global economies and the environment. Company vice president and Shepherd alumnus Mike Smith served on the committee for Shepherd’s library expansion project 11 years ago and has been actively involved with the Scarborough Society as both a sponsor and a guest over the years.
Shepherd University President Suzanne Shipley and her husband, Randall Wadsworth, joined 20 other host couples from the regional community who invited friends to enjoy the evening and support the Scarborough Library. Hosts included active alumni and community members, including Ray and Mary Alvarez, Scott Beard and Alan Gibson, John and Shelly Beatty, Jason Best and Sara Maene, Chris and Jody Carter, Enrico and Denise Caruso, Jerry and Susanne Horner, Bob and Beverly Hughes, Harrison and Vicki Lanham, Adam and Diane Link, Andrew Lowe, Robert and Dolores Lowe, Al and Sara Lueck, Bob and Gina Miller, Steve and Kathy Morris, Mike and Wendy Smith, Jim and Mary Staley, Ann Watson, Paul and Lisa Welch, and John and Lisa Younis.
This year’s gala paid tribute to the Roaring Twenties with elaborate décor, retro-inspired attire, and a 1932 Packard generously lent for the occasion by Mike and Carol Witt of Winchester. Elegant table displays included 24-inch vases wrapped in black silk ribbon and adorned with peacock feathers and art deco painted mannequin heads bedecked with sparkling jewelry and vintage hats. Guests mingled and danced among mannequins dressed in 1920s costumes reminiscent of the lavish parties thrown by Jay Gatsby in the 1974 film.
Committee chair Sara Lueck praised the gala’s sponsors and guests for its continued success. “This annual event benefitting the Scarborough Library has received wide community support since its inception in 2001,” Lueck said. “We owe its success to our corporate sponsors and the entire Eastern Panhandle community.”
Lueck, who dressed in a long, black flapper dress, pearl choker, and black feather headband, joined many other guests who had fun with the event by getting into character. Men wore white dinner jackets and fedoras, while women captured the extravagance of the era with beaded gowns, elaborate headpieces, and strands of pearls.
Serving as the Scarborough Society’s first and continuing president Ray Alvarez has watched the annual gala grow in popularity over the past 11 years.
“This event really makes a big impact, both financially and culturally,” Alvarez said. “Not only does it raise money for a worthy cause, it also fosters a great deal of community goodwill. It’s fun and elegant and people really enjoy and have fun with it.”
The Scarborough Society, sponsored by the Shepherd University Foundation, serves to support and strengthen the Shepherd University library system. Funds raised by the society provide information technology and other resources to Shepherd students, faculty, and friends.
Memberships in the organization are available on an annual basis and members’ names are engraved on a Wall of Honor located in the new addition to the Scarborough Library. Members receive library cards with special privileges and are placed on invitation lists for library lectures, book signings, musical events, seminars, and receptions.
Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Scarborough Society is encouraged to call the Shepherd University Foundation Office at 304-876-5397 or 800-344-5231, extension 5397.
