Foundation

September is Passport Awareness Month. Although summer is almost over, Robeson Community College wants you to know that traveling abroad, and seeing the world doesn’t have to be.

Join the RCC Foundation on Tuesday, September 19, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for “Passports and Pastries” to discover how you can get started on obtaining a passport to set sail on voyages and adventures across the globe.

“Since we are a passport facility, we decided to host a passport information event on September 19 in the RCC Foundation office,” said Heather Seibles, the interim executive director of Advancement. “During the event, people can ask questions about the process and book appointments.”

The “Passports & Pastries” information session is a floating event that will be held in the RCC Foundation Office located in Building 13. A raffle will be held for those who booked appointments. Light refreshments and pastries will be provided. The RCC Foundation is the only passport acceptance facility located in Lumberton, conveniently off I-95. 

The event is open to the general public. Everyone is invited to attend.

LUMBERTON — The Robeson Community College Foundation said its First Casino Night fundraiser “was a great success, netting $7,000,” money that will be used toward helping students achieve their goals, according to a prepared statement.

“We are pleased with the results,” said Heather Seibles, who serves as interim executive advancement officer of the Foundation. “This was our inaugural casino night and we hope to raise even more as we plan for the second event.”

The money raised will assist students who need help financially, according to school officials. Seibles said that $7,000 can help a number of curriculum and continuing education students, making a big impact in the lives of those attending Robeson Community College.

“This money will help many students who need assistance paying for tuition and books, and that’s why we are so grateful to our corporate sponsors and those who purchased a ticket to attend this event,” Seibles said. “Without your support, those students may not have been able to continue on with their education.”

The night featured a variety of games, similar to what you would experience while at a casino, but without any exchange of actual money. It was what Seibles referred to as “gaming for a cause.”

As the RCC Foundation — a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit — prepares for the next Casino Night and other fundraising events, Seibles is thankful for the support they have received.

“We would like to express our gratitude to everyone, from our corporate sponsors to the members of our community; we could not have done this without you,” Seibles added. “So, on behalf of our students, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Sponsors for the Casino Night Fundraiser included Joker Sponsors SouthEastern General Contractors and Robeson County; Ace Sponsors Person Toyota, United Bank, and Southeastern Integrated Care; King Sponsor Columbus Regional Healthcare System; and Queen Sponsors Nissan of Lumberton, Wixie Stephens Insurance and Wixie’s Bailbonding, Black’s Tire and Auto Service, and Oliver’s Oil Company.

In the statement released Thursday, officials said, “Special thanks go out to Black’s Tire and Auto Service, Lu Mil Vineyard, Hunt’s Tire, Ace Hardware of Lumberton, Washington Men’s Store, Belk, Maurices, Outback Steakhouse, Ruby Tuesday, Texas Steakhouse & Saloon, Critchfield’s Grill, NRL Desginz Vinyl Wraps, Fairmont Golf Club, Pinecrest Golf Course, Townsend’s Car Wash, City Tire Service, Sign City, Julie Baxley, Betsy Cummings, Generational School of Defense.”

Preparations are underway for the 39th Anniversary Clifford Bullard Memorial Golf Tournament. The tournament, which raises money for the RCC Foundation to support student success and the mission of Robeson Community College, will be held on October 5 at Pinecrest Golf Course in Lumberton. It will feature two shotgun starts, one at 8:30 am and the other at 1:30 pm. The event is projected to be one of the largest golf tournaments in Robeson County.

“This tournament will be special due to the fact that we lost one of our champion supporters, Clifford Bullard, Jr,” Heather Seibles, the interim executive advancement officer, stated. “Robeson Community College meant a lot to Mr. Bullard; he believed in education and was a philanthropic giant who supported our students. We want to make sure his legacy lives on.”

Last year, Bullard set a new goal for the tournament. It was his hope and dream that the 39th tournament would raise more money than ever before.

“I’m just fired up… I want to net $100,000 for the tournament and the college,” Bullard said in an interview last October. “Let’s all in the county get together and make this goal happen… It’s all for a great cause. If we all get together, we can make it happen.”

“I’m happy for the college and happy to see the tournament grow, we need to start at the Foundation,” Bullard said during the interview. “We have a lot of talented students, and we’re helping make a better life for so many smart kids, but many just need some financial assistance…who knows what they can accomplish.”

The tournament was started by Clif’s father, Clifford Bullard.

“My father used to work at Robeson Community College. He was a farmer, but he also worked at RCC. He founded the tournament, and he just loved the school, and he knew that we were helping folks in Robeson County who needed assistance to go to college,” Bullard told us.

After the death of his father, Clif and his brothers carried on the tradition of the tournament, tirelessly raising money for students year after year. Now, with one son gone, the torch will be passed on to the remaining children, and others in the community, who believe in the mission of improving access to education in Robeson County, which, as Clif believed, “will help to improve the quality of life for all of us.”

“As we continue with the tradition and approach the tournament this year, we are inspired by Clif’s vision, and that’s why we are motivated to reach his goal of raising 100,000 this year,” Seibles said. “It will be an honor to reach this goal. We are rallying support from the community and the surrounding areas to reach this initiative.”

“Every gift counts and every gift makes a difference,” Seibles stated. “Together we can reach this goal of raising $100,000 in honor and remembrance of Clif Bullard.”

The tournament touts “amazing gifts and raffle prizes,” a catered lunch, a 50/50 board, and a $5000 putting challenge.

“Our golf tournament is like a homecoming for many,” RCC President Melissa Singler stated. “It’s a lot of fun and a great way to spend the day raising money to help students at Robeson Community College… we thank all of our sponsors who have generously given in the past, and all that have already partnered with us this year in honor and memory of Clif Bullard, and we continue to thank the Bullard Family for their unwavering support of the tournament, Robeson Community College, and the RCC Foundation.”

If you are interested in being a supporter of this noteworthy cause, please contact Heather Seibles to discuss sponsorship opportunities at 910-272-3235 or hseibles@robeson.edu.

LUMBERTON — A local women’s group, 4×4 Perfect Timing, is giving back by paying it forward for students at Robeson Community College.

The organization recently donated $500 to the RCC Foundation to create a scholarship for young women.

“We decided as college-educated women to provide an opportunity for young women on an annual basis to help with paying for books, tuition, and to help her in her college journey,” stated Valerie Comrie, one of the founders of the organization. “We all understand how difficult college can be, and we wanted to help someone else. It can be very difficult to find help these days, and we thought the best way to use our resources was to come together and provide this scholarship for a young woman in need.”

Her daughter, Sabrina Comrie, who serves as the leader of the association, echoes those sentiments.

“We wanted to help empower and inspire young women of color,” Sabrina Comrie said. “This is our opportunity to give a helping hand. There are a lot of stressors in life, but finding money for college shouldn’t be the biggest stress a young woman has… this is a small part of the solution.”

“It is extremely rewarding for us to have this opportunity to do something for someone else,” Valerie added.

The RCC Foundation is thankful for the donation, saying this will help a student achieve their dreams of becoming a college graduate.

“This scholarship will help cover a portion of the costs of attending Robeson Community College and will help supplement other financial aid, allowing a student to attend class and buy the necessary supplies required for their program of study,” stated Lisa Hunt, the assistant vice president of grants and foundation at RCC. “We are so appreciative of 4×4 Perfect Timing and their generosity, thought, and consideration of our students and their desire to help pay it forward to others.”

ROBESON COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — An endowment has been established at Robeson Community College in honor of Christopher Walker, an English Instructor who died in 2022 at the age of 35.

In 2018, Walker was recognized as WWAY’s “Teacher of the Week” when he taught Language Arts and Social Studies at Acme Delco Middle School in Columbus County.

“To know him was to love him,” said Kim Spivey, Christopher Walker’s mom, during a private ceremony to honor her son on Monday, Jan. 30 at Robeson Community College. “If you did know him, I’m sure that he left a positive imprint.”

Walker was an English instructor at RCC, working there for almost two years before his sudden death. Even in a short period of time, his impact was profound.

“He was always leaving people with words of encouragement, no matter who they were or what their walk-in life was,” his mother said. “He always saw the glass as half full, no matter what.”

To honor Walker, Spivey established an endowment in his name through the RCC Foundation, giving $10,750 to support students seeking a better life through education.

“This is an opportunity for Christopher’s love for education and desire to make a difference in the lives of young people to continue on,” Spivey said. “He saw things through a different lens and was never satisfied with the status quo. He always searched for a deeper meaning, and it was always his desire and goal in life to make a difference.”

The endowment established will be used towards supporting scholarships for those in financial need who are first-generation college students and who are working a job to support themselves and pay for their education. Full Story.