IN RECOGNITION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIRGINIA SCHOLARSHIP AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

The foundation was formed in 1990 when actors Tim and Daphne Reid formed the Tim Reid Scholarship Foundation. It has since helped many at-risk high school students in Hampton Roads, Virginia go to college.

Financing a college education becomes more and more difficult each year. Tim and Daphne Reid have committed themselves to making this less of an obstacle for many families in Hampton Roads, Virginia. They are devoted to the belief that talented individuals should not be denied the opportunity to cultivate their minds and have the opportunity to create a better future for themselves, their families, their community and the world.

For 20 years, Tim and Daphne have worked tirelessly to raise funds for this scholarship. One of their most successful fundraisers is the annual Tim Reid Celebrity Weekend. Tim and Daphne invite many of their friends to come to Hampton Roads to participate in a weekend of events. The Celebrity Weekend attracts over 5,000 people annually. Actors, musicians, comedians, and dignitaries are invited to donate their time to participate in 3 days of activities to raise funds for the Foundation. Past celebrity guests have included Will Smith, Kyla Pratt, Kelly Williams, Lark Voorhies, Percy Daggs, Marcus Paulk, Angela Bassett, Victoria Rowell, Alfonso Ribeiro, the O'Jays, Clifton Davis, Richard Roundtree, Tia and Tamera Mowry, Tatyana Ali, Blair Underwood, and many others. Next week, the Virginia Scholarship and Youth Development Foundation will host its 20th Annual Tim Reid Celebrity Weekend in Hampton Roads, which I am sure will be another huge success.

Because of the efforts of Tim and Daphne Reid, there are currently twenty-four students attending eleven different colleges and universities with the support of the Virginia Scholarship and Youth Development Foundation. Many of these young people are the first in their families to obtain a college education.

I congratulate the Virginia Scholarship and Youth Development Foundation on twenty successful years and, I commend Tim and Daphne Reid for their tireless efforts on behalf of the Foundation and students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their willingness to invest in our state and our students is a model of personal and corporate responsibility that I hope many will replicate across our great nation. Under the leadership of Tim and Daphne Reid, I am sure the Foundation will have many more years of success.