Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. have become the latest benefactors of Bennett College’s fundraising campaign to save its accreditation, with national and local offices donating $31,000 to the institution last week and pledging to solicit more gifts from members on behalf of the women’s college.
The fraternity’s national office and general president presented a check to Bennett officials last week in support of its efforts to raise $5 million by Feb. 1, a condition of reversing a vote from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges to remove the school from its membership. Leaders from a local chapter of the fraternity added $1,000 to the gift.
“Alpha Phi Alpha is honored to present to you a check for $30,000,” Alpha Phi Alpha General President and Saint Augustine’s University President Everett B. Ward told Bennett President Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins inside the Institution’s Global Learning Center. “In addition, Alpha men around the world are going to make contributions to Bennett College. God bless you and the women of Bennett College and know that the men of Alpha Phi Alpha support you.”
“Bennett College is trying gallantly to raise a minimum of $5 million by Feb. 1, and gifts like the ones we received today from Alpha Phi Alpha will go a long way toward helping us achieve our goal,” said Bennett President Phyllis Worthy Dawkins. “On a personal note, I appreciate President Ward for taking time out of his busy schedule to travel to Greensboro to hand-deliver the check. I know how busy he must be as President of St. Augustine’s University and that his time is valuable.”
This is great hopefully the remaining 8 Greeks of the Divine 9 do the same.