Norwayne reunion draws hundreds
By Melody Brown-Peyton
Published in News on September 3, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Tamara Fuller-Eddins, class of '88, talks with keynote speaker Stanley Aughtry Jr. Saturday night during the annual Norwayne Alumni and Friends alumni homecoming at the Maxwell Center.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Major James Capers, at right, receives a standing ovation from the crowd at the Norwayne Alumni and Friends alumni homecoming Saturday night. Capers was recognized for his accomplishments, and a preview of his documentary was played.
It was a time for reminiscing while connecting with former classmates during the Norwayne Alumni and Friends 46th reunion, with a host of events that took place over a three-day period starting Friday.
The theme for the event was "Embracing Our Past, Striving Today For A Better Pathway To Our Future."
One of the highlights for the weekend of activities was the annual banquet, held at the Maxwell Center. The ballroom was packed, as 600 gathered for the event. Dressed in their finest after 5 attire, alumni and friends gathered had a lot of fun as they reflected on times gone by.
The banquet is held each year to raise money for area youth going to college. In total, 524 scholarships have been awarded with a total of $216,000 donated to help youth achieve their collegiate dreams.
Over the years, the annual event has witnessed an increase in attendance, and the former host location, the Dillard Community Center, could no longer accommodate the large gathering of alumni and friends.
During the event a special musical selection of the Lord's Prayer was performed on a saxophone by Amon McEachern. He is a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
The speaker for the event was Goldsboro native Stanley Aughtry Jr., who played the role of the Merchant Tribe warrior Shombay in the blockbuster movie "Black Panther."
Aughtry talked about growing up in Goldsboro, and said he was grateful for the opportunity to come back and give to a community that has given so much to him.
"Thanks for bringing me back home. I am Wayne County," Aughtry said.
The movie has received tremendous success, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide. Aughtry is no stranger to the silver screen; he also landed a role in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight."
During his speech, Aughtry talked about how God's hand has guided his life, and how he is grateful for the support that he received from his family. Although he enjoys acting, Aughtry is also an electrical engineer at Norfolk Southern, a Fortune 500 railroad company.
Each class that was represented bragged about how their class was the best, but bragging rights went to the class of 1968. They raised $13,000 for the scholarship event.
After an evening of fine dining the dance floor was set as alumni and friends danced the night away with a host of old school jams.
Event organizers Pat Ford and Larry Jones both said that next years event will be bigger and better with a host of surprises.