Emergencies rarely respect tuition deadlines, and when they strike, even the most dedicated student can be forced to choose between staying in school and making ends meet.
Those are the moments when Concord University’s (CU) Gap Fund steps in. The fund provides small grants to undergraduate students with high unmet financial need or who are facing unexpected circumstances that could otherwise force them to leave school and derail their dreams of a college education.
James Grayton is just one of the CU students the Gap Fund has recently helped. With assistance from the fund, he has been able to pay for his education, purchase school supplies and even buy groceries.
“Without the Gap Fund, I probably would not be graduating college,” he says.
Over the past three years, the fund has provided more than $28,000 in critical assistance to 138 students with no other means to cover these essential expenses, but the need continues, and the fund is not limitless.
With funding requests already pending this semester, we’re on a mission to expand the fund, and only the generous support of CU donors can help that happen.
Concord Charlie and the annual Groundhog Day Breakfast tradition present an ideal opportunity. What began in 1978 as a celebration of Appalachian heritage in support of Concord’s Appalachian Studies program will now also help promote affordability and accessibility for CU students. Ticket and t-shirt sales will now help bolster the Gap Fund.
Along with CU’s legendary prognosticator predicting whether spring is just around the corner—or whether winter still has a grip on the region—this year’s event will feature an address and brief performance by Princeton native and CU alum Delnora Reed Acuff ’96, serving as grand groundhog watcher.
An award-winning singer and songwriter, Delnora is known for her heartfelt, story-driven lyrics rooted in family, faith and rural Appalachian life. Her music reflects an authenticity that feels both personal and timeless.
The communication arts graduate is currently based just outside Nashville, where she has earned honors including “New Artist of the Year,” “Inspirational Artist of the Year” and “Music Video of the Year” at the Inspirational Country Music Awards. She is also set to return to the Grand Ole Opry this April, with five additional nominations from the same organization.
Friends and fans are invited to hear and meet Delnora on February 2 at the Groundhog Day Breakfast, beginning at 8 a.m. in the Pais Fellowship Hall at University Point.
Tickets are $20, and reservations are requested by January 28. They may be made at concord.edu/groundhog or by calling the Office of Advancement at (304) 384-6067. Commemorative Concord Charlie t-shirt sales will also benefit the Gap fund and support current and future CU students.
Make your reservations today.
