[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 62 (Thursday, April 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIRGINIA SCHOLARSHIP AND 
                      YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 29, 2010

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 20th 
anniversary of the Virginia Scholarship and Youth Development 
Foundation.
  The foundation was formed in 1990 when actors Tim and Daphne Reid 
formed the Tim Reid Scholarship Foundation. It has since helped many 
at-risk high school students in Hampton Roads, Virginia go to college.
  Education has always been society's great equalizer, and a college 
education is necessary today to ensure that youth reach their highest 
potential. The Foundation's mission and motto of ``Universal 
Understanding Through Education'' clearly reflects this.
  Financing a college education becomes more and more difficult each 
year. Tim and Daphne Reid have committed themselves to making this less 
of an obstacle for many families in Hampton Roads, Virginia. They are 
devoted to the belief that talented individuals should not be denied 
the opportunity to cultivate their minds and have the opportunity to 
create a better future for themselves, their families, their community 
and the world.
  For 20 years, Tim and Daphne have worked tirelessly to raise funds 
for this scholarship. One of their most successful fundraisers is the 
annual Tim Reid Celebrity Weekend. Tim and Daphne invite many of their 
friends to come to Hampton Roads to participate in a weekend of events. 
The Celebrity Weekend attracts over 5,000 people annually. Actors, 
musicians, comedians, and dignitaries are invited to donate their time 
to participate in 3 days of activities to raise funds for the 
Foundation. Past celebrity guests have included Will Smith, Kyla Pratt, 
Kelly Williams, Lark Voorhies, Percy Daggs, Marcus Paulk, Angela 
Bassett, Victoria Rowell, Alfonso Ribeiro, the O'Jays, Clifton Davis, 
Richard Roundtree, Tia and Tamera Mowry, Tatyana Ali, Blair Underwood, 
and many others. Next week, the Virginia Scholarship and Youth 
Development Foundation will host its 20th Annual Tim Reid Celebrity 
Weekend in Hampton Roads, which I am sure will be another huge success.
  Because of the efforts of Tim and Daphne Reid, there are currently 
twenty-four students attending eleven different colleges and 
universities with the support of the Virginia Scholarship and Youth 
Development Foundation. Many of these young people are the first in 
their families to obtain a college education.
  I congratulate the Virginia Scholarship and Youth Development 
Foundation on twenty successful years and, I commend Tim and Daphne 
Reid for their tireless efforts on behalf of the Foundation and 
students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their willingness to invest 
in our state and our students is a model of personal and corporate 
responsibility that I hope many will replicate across our great nation. 
Under the leadership of Tim and Daphne Reid, I am sure the Foundation 
will have many more years of success.

                          ____________________