Courtesy of Tim Blassingame

Ricardo Adams recently received a scholarship from the New River Valley Progressive Men's Club. Pictured are (from left) Tony Ferguson, Jerry Hendricks, Stuart Moon, Tim Blassingame, Michael Releford, Adams, Carl Lewis, Brenda Adams and Richard Adams. The person in the background is not listed.

While small in numbers, the New River Valley Progressive Men's Club has a passion for uplifting black youths in its community.

The club is a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to graduating seniors who plan to attend college. The group primarily targets black students but doesn't exclude applicants based on race.

Applicants are required to have maintained a grade-point average of at least 2.5, been active in the community and have taken the SAT. The 16 members of the club then vote on the student they feel is most deserving of the scholarship. Scholarship awards are presented during a service at the recipient's church.

William Foster, a club member, feels compelled to set an example for black youths because they tend to idolize the negative role models they see in popular culture, he said. Foster cited a recent television documentary that spoke about the alarming rates at which black males are being incarcerated.

"They fall into that trap of easy money. If we can save one, then hey, that's a start," Foster said.

This year, the group has given out three scholarships, with the most recent awarded July 27 to Ricardo Adams, who attended Pulaski County High School. He was awarded $500 in front of the congregation of Pulaski Pentecostal Holiness Church.

"I felt real blessed because I'm one out of a few to receive the scholarship, which I really need," Adams said.

Adams was active in high school, having played football for three years and basketball for two.

He will attend The University of North Carolina at Pembroke this fall as a computer science major and said he plans to use the money to either alleviate the cost of his books or room and board.

Danny Simmons, a Pulaski County schoolmate and friend of Adams, also received a scholarship this year for $1,000.

"I was shocked and excited. It was an honor to receive it," Simmons said about receiving the check at First Baptist Church in Pulaski.

While in high school, Simmons played football and ran track, competing at the regional and state levels in indoor track.

Simmons will attend the University of Virginia's College at Wise. Though he hasn't decided on a major, he has an interest in computers. He also plans to join UVa-Wise's football team as a walk-on.

Lasheka Dobbins was also among the scholarship recipients this year. She will attend the private, historically black Clark Atlanta University in the fall to study social work and early childhood education. The NRV Progressive Men's Club presented her with a $1,000 scholarship during a service at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Radford.

While attending Radford High School, Dobbins served as president of the Black Awareness Club and was a member of both the Senior Leadership and Cultural Diversity committees.

George Penn is pleased that his vision for the group he helped found in 1989 is now a reality. Penn formerly lived in another area, where a group with ideals similar to the NRV Progressive Men's Club existed, promoting scholarship for black youths in the community. Penn saw the need for such a group when he moved to the New River Valley.

"There's some disunity [in the black community] that's always been, but we work on it to make it better," Penn said.

The group relies on the community to raise money for its efforts. It has fish fries three to four times a year, the Harvest Fest Banquet where a keynote speaker is invited, and cabarets.

Club President Tim Blassingame said the group has big plans in the future, including the purchase of a building that would hold community functions for fundraisers, while also giving the youth something fun to do.

"The community has given us so much, so we feel the need to give back in every way we can," Blassingame said.