Suffolk News-Herald

Humble Hall at Virginia University of Lynchburg is in need of renovations. For this reason, the Melvin R. Boone Foundation will sponsor an event at 4 p.m. Nov. 2 called, &uot;the Melvin R. Boone Foundation Fundraiser Program&uot; at Metropolitan Baptist Church on County Street.

The cost of replacing the roof and making other improvement is expected to be about $100,000.

Three church choirs are scheduled to perform Sunday: the Male Choir of Franklin from Franklin; the Mass Choir of the First Baptist Church of Taylorville from Portsmouth; the Metropolitan Mass Choir from the church; 10-year-old Levor A. Linton will also make a special appearance as a soloist. Faye Holland and Helen Daughtrey will preside.

Boone said that Humbles Hall is over 80 years old, has two floors including an auditorium on the top floor and Melvin R. Boone Center Banquet Room on the bottom floor.

&uot;The auditorium will seat 1,200 people and the banquet room will seat 500,&uot; said Boone. &uot;When I was president in the ’80s, I renovated the building but now we have a leaking problem at the top of the building and other minor problems.&uot; Dr. Ralph Reavis is now president of the college.

Boone is continually sponsoring fundraisers, drives and the sale of vegetables and flowers from his garden to keep the college up to good standards, and has already donated $30,000 toward the roof.

The foundation is also sponsoring a &uot;Ten Friend&uot; Drive in which you give a gift to the Melvin R. Boone Foundation and ask 10 friends to give a gift.

For more information or If you wish to contribute to this cause you may mail your tax exempt donation to the Dr. Melvin R. Boone Foundation at 605 East Washington St., Suffolk, Va. 23434.