LLUAHSC SCOPE Summer 2001

Close to 300 alumni and friends attend 18th annual BALL banquet

[SCOPE, Summer 2001]

Elders
M. Joycelyn Elders, MD, pediatric endocrinologist and former U.S. Surgeon General, was the featured speaker for the BALL banquet.

The Black Alumni of Loma Linda and La Sierra Universities (BALL) sponsored their 18th annual scholarship banquet Saturday, February 24, at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Nearly 300 alumni and friends of Loma Linda University (LLU) and La Sierra University (LSU) came together for the evening.

Featured speaker for the event was M. Joycelyn Elders, MD, pediatric endocrinologist and former U.S. Surgeon General. She was the first African-American woman to hold that post.

Dr. Elders spoke about the concerns and challenges of the 21st century--poverty, population, and pollution.

She congratulated BALL for the contributions it is making through scholarships and the MITHS program, pointing out that BALL is one of the few organizations doing so. She also challenged the alumni and friends of BALL to continue to support BALL and its efforts.

During the banquet, Byron R. Spears Jr., DDS, MPH, was named the 2001 Alumnus of the Year for LLU.

Several BALL scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 were also awarded during the banquet, going to six students that evening.

[SCOPE, Summer 2001]