JOSH MELTZER The Roanoke Times

Students from Roanoke City Public Schools dance at the "Night of Champions" at the Roanoke Civic Center. More than 200 students who excelled at academics, athletics or the arts attended the dinner and dance as a reward for doing well in school.

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More than 200 Roanoke middle and high school students received a congratulatory letter and a department store gift card for being exemplary young citizens as part of the city's first "Night of Champions" on Friday at the Roanoke Civic Center.

In 2006, the city published a Youth Comprehensive Plan that listed nine focus areas for youth to be improved before 2012. The Night of Champions was an initiative born from that plan.

The first focus area challenges adults to show Roanoke youth that they are valued by their community. Marion Vaughn-Howard, the city's superintendent for youth services, said that young people often get portrayed in a bad light, but there are many who work hard in school, do well in their communities and even volunteer their time to help others.

"This is a time where they are going to be highlighted with what they've done and they'll know their schools are proud of them," Vaughn-Howard said.

Youth Services provided each public middle and high school in the city with 100 invitations to the special event. Each school was charged with passing along the invitations to the best, brightest and most dedicated students.

To be eligible, students must have invested time in their community or shown leadership skills in addition to having good grades and being in good standing at school and in the community.

The night started with dinner for each student and his or her family, live entertainment and a speech by Sherman Stovall, the city's director of budget and management and a Roanoke native. Vaughn-Howard said Stovall was chosen to show students that it is a real possibility to grow up in Roanoke, go away to school and come back as an adult to become an important part of the community.

After the awards ceremony where students got the chance to shake hands with their school principals, Director of Parks and Recreation Steve Buschor, City Manager Darlene Burcham and Superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools Rita Bishop, families and younger students were politely asked to leave so the seventh- through 12th-grade students could enjoy a night of fun: a disc jockey dance with music, friends and dancing.

Vaughn-Howard said the night out was also a way for students to develop social skills, but most students just saw it as a night out on the town given as a reward for doing well in school.

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