West Virginia University alumni and friends in the nation’s capital are passionate about their University.

Each year, members of the WVU Alumni Association’s National Capital Area Chapter work tirelessly to serve as advocates for the University by hosting numerous events that increase awareness of the institution and recruit great students while raising money to support scholarships and other philanthropic causes.

During the annual Alumni Luncheon on Capitol Hill held earlier this month in Washington, D.C., the chapter continued its commitment to the University by presenting the WVU Foundation with a check for $10,000 for the John F. Nicholas Jr. endowed scholarship, as well as a check in the amount of $10,000 to fulfill the chapter’s pledge of $52,500 to the WVU Alumni Association’s building campaign—the largest gift by an alumni chapter.

“We started our scholarship program in 1988, and since then our alumni have been generously supportive in making sure that students from our area get the opportunity to come enjoy the experience of WVU,” said Mike Fulton, executive vice president at GolinHarris and a member of the chapter. “We are so grateful to have such dedicated and committed Mountaineers who want to support the University.”

Fulton further noted that former WVU President Neil Bucklew was a strong advocate for out-of-state scholarships, particularly in the D.C. metro area, and so the chapter heeded the call to support this effort.

Many events are held each year to help raise funds for the scholarship program and other projects, including events such as the Luncheon on Capitol Hill, golf tournament and the ever-popular Crab Feast. “Alumni from near and far will travel to our area in August to take part in our annual Crab Feast,” said Kevin Nodianos, chapter president. “It is a terrific way to bring Mountaineers together for a day filled with great food, entertainment and wonderful WVU camaraderie.”

The event is one of the longest running alumni events in the nation, spanning more than three decades. The Crab Feast will be held on Aug. 27 at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria, Va., where volunteers expect a crowd of nearly 1,000 Mountaineers.

To date, the chapter has raised more than $300,000 to support programs, scholarships and other worthwhile projects for the University. For more information about the National Capital Area Chapter, visit: http://www.wvualumni.org or contact the WVU Alumni Association at http://alumni.wvu.edu or 304-293-4731.

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cm/6.23.11

CONTACT: Tara Curtis, WVU Alumni Association,
304-293-0972, tecurtis@mail.wvu.edu

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