Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, Uplift are the four cardinal principles adopted by the first Greek letter fraternity ever to be founded on a Black college campus, Howard University. It was Nov. 17, 1911.
On Nov. 23, Iota Phi Foundation, an affiliate of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., held their 2013 Achievement Awards Dinner at the Syria Center in Cheswick, Pa. Deejay Mac provided the soundtrack and a delightful buffet dinner was enjoyed by nearly 300.
In celebration of their founders and their principles, awards were presented to young scholars who have excelled academically. They included William Gadson, Carly Heywood, Michael Harrell, Kendall Luton and Kristina Lewis.
Also on this beautiful evening, Exemplary Service Awards were presented to Debbie Hickman, Giant Eagle, for business; Rodney B. Jones Sr., Kindred Healthcare for medicine; Wayne Walters, PhD, Barack Obama Academy of International Studies; Lynne Hayes-Freeland, KDKA-TV, for community advocacy; Mark Lewis, Poise Foundation, for philanthropy; and Ron Lawrence president 100 Black Men, for leadership development. Greg Spencer, of Randall Enterprises, was selected as the Citizen of The Year.
The list of trailblazers included: Janis Parks, of the Young Men and Women’s African Heritage Association, who received the Sylvester Pace Humanitarian Award; B-PEP Founder Tim Stevens, who received the Civil Rights Vanguard Award; and James Boyd, a retired educator and community leader, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Justin Laing was selected as The Omega Man of the Year while Richard Dickson was presented with the Undergraduate Omega Man of the Year. Daria Crawley, PhD, accepted the Barack Obama Leadership Award on behalf of her husband, Rex Crawley, Ph.D. Rex Crawley passed away days later, after a lengthy battle with cancer.
On the morning of the dinner the men of Omega Psi Phi Iota Phi Chapter, along with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority provided over 100 Thanksgiving meals to needy families. The Iota Phi Foundation provides college scholarships, college tours, mentoring programs and holiday projects to the greater Pittsburgh area.
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