GPEF, GISD recognize individuals, businesses through Hall of Honor

The Graham Public Education Foundation and Graham ISD  honored GISD alumni, staff and community members who have provided meritorious service to the district or their profession at the Hall of Honor dedication Friday at Graham High School. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused a postponement of the event to the beginning of 2021 and then until Fall 2021.

The reception for the event was held in the GHS library and the honorees were also introduced between the first and second quarters of the Graham Steers home district game against Iowa Park.

GISD originally opened nominations for the program in June 2020 and a tentative date of Jan. 29, 2021, was announced at a Graham Board of Trustees meeting. This was the fourth Hall of Honor event held since the program was approved by the school board in September 2017. GPEF gives funding to the district outside of the budget through a grant application process and obtains money through donations and fundraising events. The board for GPEF, along with members of the school district administration, review the requests and choose grants that are available to fund and will make an impact.

“We are a nonprofit organization that helps fulfill grants that teachers send in every year. We average about (...) $60,000 a year that we give out in grants to the teachers at all campuses. We get our funds through fundraisers. We put on different parties and we have a basketball game coming again this year, the Harlem Wizards, which is really fun because we get to have the whole community come out for that,” GPEF President Sara McCall said during the event Friday. “(Several years ago) we started the endowment campaign. We now have an investment fund that we can continue forever with this with the residuals of the income off of that which is so fantastic with generous donors from town and all over. We get donations for memorials. We get a lot of local donations and we do a lot of fundraising so (...) if you hear about us, like us, follow us and you can get more information on the website through grahamisd.com.”

2020-2021 Hall of Honor honorees

Bruce Street Sr.
Distinguished Alumni Award

Darrell Weatherbee
Distinguished Alumni Award

Bennie and Dorothy Lane
Distinguished Staff Award

Zohn Solomon Milam
Distinguished Staff Award

Graham Regional Medical Center
Distinguished Community Member Award

Walter Oliver
Distinguished Community Member Award

Nell Sammons
Historical Award

Bertie Johnson
Historical Award

For the rest of the story, see the Oct. 20 edition of The Graham Leader.