Former resident invited to speak at Sickle Cell benefit
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Suffolk News-Herald
Dr. Rayfield Vines, a former resident of Suffolk now living in Richmond, will be the guest speaker at the 20th Annual Sickle Cell Association’s Inc. Annual 2004 Membership and Awards Banquet. The event will be held at 7 p.m. Friday in the Virginia National Guard Armory on Godwin Boulevard.
Vines, a man for all seasons, graduated from the former Booker T. Washington High School in Suffolk and holds a bachelor of science degree from Norfolk State University in Norfolk. He also holds a master’s degree in education, a master’s degree in divinity and doctorate in Minister degrees, all from Virginia Union University in Richmond. Further studies were done at Washington Bible College at Capital Bible Institute in Laurel, Md.
He has taught in the Sussex, Buckingham and Fairfax counties, Petersburg, and Richmond City School Systems.
In 2000, he was named &uot;Teacher of the Year&uot; of the Lucille Brown Middle School. He teaches at the Gospel Music Workshop of America, where James Cleveland was the founder.
He is the minister of the Hungary Road Baptist Church in Richmond.
Other activities at the banquet will include a Silent Auction sponsored by the Suffolk Les Gemmes Inc. and door prizes will be given away. The proceeds from the auction will also go towards the Sickle Cell Association.
The mission of the Sickle Cell Association is to provide comprehensive health education and counseling testing services while striving to improve the quality of life of their clients and families.
The Sickle Cell Association Inc. outreach office was first formed in 1975 at the Union Hall Building on East Washington Street to serve Suffolk, Franklin, and the counties of Isle of Wight and Southampton.
The Suffolk Advisory Committee plans this major fundraising event, which is comprised of 26 members Charter members still active are Carey Boone, Attorney Herman Benn, Lula Holland, Mamie Kindred, Ivery Knight, Dorothy Rawles, Alma Lundy, Curtis Milteer, and Ruby Walden.
Evelyn Faye Ledbetter serves as community educator at the main office at 117 W. Washington St., Suite 104. The phone number is 934-2347.
Tickets for the event are $20 and may be bought from the Suffolk Outreach Office, by any member of the Suffolk Advisory Committee or by calling (757) 934-2347.
