2007 Black & Gold Ball
New York State Museum
Terrace Gallery
Saturday, October 27th, 2007
6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Black Tie
Click for Images from the 2006 Black & Gold Ball
History of the Ball
Our chapter has a long legacy of service and action in the Capital Region. The first Beta Pi Lambda scholarship ball occured in 1954 at the Israel AME Church in Albany, NY. Today, the annual Black & Gold Ball is our non-profit fundraiser for our George Biddle Kelley Scholarship. By coming to our ball, or donating to the scholarship, you are personally making the difference in the lives of the youths that march onward and upward toward the light. Below is information on the 2007 scholarship winners:
Suliman Chillis is a talented student athlete graduating from Albany Academy for Boys in June, 2007. This hard working student manages an impressive academic record while participating on the varsity basketball, soccer and football teams. He also volunteers with the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus, Habitat For Humanity and the Ronald McDonald House. Recently, he served as escort president for the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Spring 2007 Cotillion, participated with the Liberty Partnership Program, the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) and was acknowledged by the Capital District YMCA as one of its young Black and Latino Achievers. He is also an active member of the Macedonia Baptist Church. Suliman will be a member of the graduating class of 2011 at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. He plans on studying Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Suliman recognizes a need for strategic dissemination of information and issues concerning the African-American community. He plans to use his degree and experiences to address some of these issues.
Reginald McClaney is a June 2007 graduate of Albany High School. Reginald, a firm believer in God and Community, enjoys volunteering with the Metropolitan New Testament Baptist Church, where he serves on the youth usher board, youth choir and a mentor in their Vocational Bible School. He also volunteers his time with the Arbor Park Child Care Center and enjoys playing football and the drums with the Chocolate Thunder Marching and Dancing Band. In June, 2001 his family lost their home and remained homeless for a year. However, this did not stop this young man from continuing to pursue his dreams and achieve greater heights. In the fall, Reginald will be attending Clark Atlanta University where he plans to major in Psychology and minor in Business. His aspirations are to become a Psychologist so he may continue counseling and uplifting young African-American males in his community.
Byron Williams embodies the very essence of the George B. Kelley Scholarship; a talented academic student, athlete and model citizen. A June 2007 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy, Byron maintained a competitive and rigorous schedule throughout his four year academic program with Honors and Advanced Placement courses. He is an only child and lives in the Arbor Hill community of Albany, NY. As a student at CBA, Byron was involved in Student Council, National Honor Society, Varsity football and tennis, Open House tour guide, Honor Guard and the Junior ROTC. He was also a member of the CBA Funeral detail. In the community, Byron is President of the Youth Ushers Ministry and a Junior Deacon at the Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, corresponding secretary of the Hudson River-Frontier Missionary Baptist Association and member of the National Student Leadership Conference. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, poetry, yard work, aviation and biking. This young published author will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall of 2007 where he plans on studying Civil Engineering.