About 450 people were in attendance the afternoon of Oct. 13 in Temple Beth El to witness two college seniors receive scholarships and 11 community service citizens be honored during the ninth annual Porter-Ward-Vann Memorial Scholarship Banquet. The event was sponsored by the Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc., Omega Chapter of Suffolk.

The banquet was held to finance the Porter-Ward-Vann Memorial Scholarship Fund. This annually provides assistance to students who are continuing their education in the school of professional nursing who may be having financial difficulties.

Two college seniors were presented $500 by Soror Helen Williams. Those students were Amy Teachey, a student at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, and Laura Sobczak, a student at Old Dominion University. Sobczak was unable to attend the banquet because of personal reasons.

Eleven citizens were honored. Sorors who selected these citizens gave a brief profile on why they did so. These citizens and the sorors who selected them are as follows: Virginia and Carey Boone by Orpah West; Gracie Bunch by Charlene Brown; Bishop Obadiah Colander by Marion Godwin; Josephine Felder by Annie Harris; Barbara Holloman by Rachel Hodges; Francis Dowling-Johnson by Melody Armstrong; Thora Melson by Bennie Marshall; Therbia Parker Sr. by Marcell Faulk; Mamie Martin-Ross by Orpah West; and Marlene Simmons by Marcell Faulk.

Vice Mayor Leroy Bennett brought greetings on behalf of the City of Suffolk.

The musical group &uot;Just Us&uot; provided jazz and religious music for the evening and a special selection was dedicated to honorees by Gail Hinton-Copeland entitled, &uot;Wind Beneath My Wings.&uot;

Dr. Bennie Marshall, basileus, served as mistress of ceremonies and Soror Hattie Boone pinned each honoree before the banquet began.

The Omega Chapter of the Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc., established a memorial scholarship fund in memory of its first three deceased sorors who dedicated much of their time and talent in giving service to humanity. It was agreed that the scholarship shall be named the Porter, Ward, Vann Memorial Scholarship in their honor.

It has also been agreed upon that the sorority will memorialize any of its succeeding sorors or fraters by adding their names to the memorial plaque each year and recognize them at the annual banquet.