Hilary Roberts
William Roberts
Cherie Roberts
Paradigm of Paradise How Bill and Cherie Roberts Helped Make Morgan’s Gala XXI one of the best ever To many alumni, the game is not the only big event at Homecoming. Before the kickoff at game time, and before the parade steps off down Cold Spring Lane, it is the annual Morgan State University Gala. Gala XXI: An Evening in Paradise was a night that brought the stars out for an evening of elegance and celebration at Martin’s West in Baltimore. The crowd of more than 900 included alumni who represented over a half-century of graduating classes at Morgan, as well as civic and political leaders, and friends of the university; all gathered to raise money for scholarships and other support students and Fair Morgan. Worth noting is the fact that amid the black ties and evening gowns, among the dance lines and happy reunions that night, two Morgan graduates stood firm in a very public way in their commitment to the university and to each other. William R. Roberts and Cherie Harp met as sophomores at Morgan in 1975. MORGAN MAGAZINE
Thirty-one years later, they have shared their professional and private successes as husband and wife. He is the president of Verizon Maryland and a member of Morgan’s Board of Regents; she is a personal fitness trainer. With a common desire to give back to the university, they served as honorary co-chairpersons of Gala XXI. Both say that they used their professional resources along with calling on friends and associates to support Morgan’s efforts to raise scholarship funds. With their efforts, along with the work of the gala committee, the event raised over $50,000 to assist deserving young people to achieve their dreams of a college education. “That’s what is most important. The more money we raise, the more opportunities students will have to attend and enjoy Morgan, says Cherie Roberts, who, aside from the joy of raising money for a good cause, says she had a wonderful time at Gala XXI, “Being able to see old friends that I had not seen
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since graduation, inviting them to sit with us, it was also great to have our daughter Hilary there,” she said. Hilary Roberts is a 20-year-old sophomore attending Hampton University. Husband Bill Roberts agreed, “We certainly had a great time. We got a lot of positive feedback from people we hadn’t seen since graduation. The foundation has been laid for those that will chair the event in the future, to put on a great time for a great cause.” The consensus of the crowd in attendance was that the quality of the event itself was almost as impressive as the money raised. Lady Rhythm, an allfemale band that played an eclectic blend of contemporary R&B, timeless ballads and old-school funk, provided music. “It was,” said many who attended, “one of the best galas the Morgan State University Foundation had ever put together. We can’t wait until next year’s Homecoming.”