County Seniors Spend the Day With Gamma Pi As Annual Banquet Brings Joy and Excitement

Every year about this time, Gamma Pi Chapter and the Friendship Charities Foundation, Inc. put out feelers in the local community about its annual Seniors Banquet and the response is always incredible. The was evident on Saturday, June 13, when county senior citizens piled into buses large and small, cars and vans that dropped them off at Greater Mount Nebo AME Church in Bowie for the 53rd Annual Seniors Banquet. As in years past, it was another full house and a full afternoon of activities that brought joy and excitement to people who are the backbone of the local community --  SENIOR CITIZENS.

Greater Mount Nebo served as a perfect backdrop for this year's event, thanks to the generosity of Bro. Rev. Dr. Gerald Folsom and his Executive Minster, Rev. Donna Durham and other church leadership. Bros. Terance Hare (Basileus) and Lucius Toney  are also members of the church. For nearly three hours on Saturday, the sanctuary of Greater Mount Nebo was converted into a makeshift dining hall to accommodate about 200 senior citizens, which rivals last year's record-breaking attendance. The food was top-notch: chicken, beef, potatoes and gravy, brussel sprouts plus dessert. 

The event was spearheaded by Gamma Pi's Social Action committee, headed by Bro. Weldon Gilchrist, Jr., and the nonprofit Friendship Charities, Inc., with Bro. Sheku "Shake" Alieu leading the charge from that side. Both men worked together to pull off the banquet. Bro Alieu has led the planning of many recent Gamma Pi Seniors Banquets.

 

Members of the Gamma Pi Chapter were temporarily turned into grocery shoppers, cooks and waiters for 24 hours to make it all happen with smoothness and ease. The seniors thoroughly enjoyed it! As they departed the sanctuary, the seniors -- many of them septuagenarians and octogenarians -- hugged and shook hands with the Brothers thanking them for a wonderful afternoon.

Saturday's banquet was also about terrific comfort food prepared shopped for, cooked and delivered at the table by Gamma Pi chapter members. It was also about social interaction with other seniors as well as with the Brothers of Gamma Pi, a Word from the Lord through chaplain Bro. Rev. Reggie Pickett, an informational talk about wills and estate planning and "legacy" from Ms. Mahasin el-Amin, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Prince George's County and the always-anticipated stellar praise singing by the Gamma Pi Chorale. Bro. Anthony Stewart served as Master of Ceremonies. The seniors also heard from a representative from the office of 7th District Council Chair Krystal Oriadha, and from Leslie Johnson, Director of Senior Affairs  for the Office of the County Executive.

Door prizes are always given for persons who can answer fun trivia questions and for the oldest man and woman. The eldest woman in attendance was 101 years old and the eldest man was 88. They received gift cards. Once again, Gamma Pi showed its chops when it comes to executing social action!  

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Project ENRICH Closes Out the Year With a Flurry of Scholarships, Dollars and Momentum for Next Year

For Gamma Pi's flagship education program, Project ENRICH, the year began with a monumental challenge right out of the starting gate. With just days to go before the academic year kicked off in early October, the sudden and unexpected federal government shutdown, shut Project ENRICH and its more than 150 registered students out of its then-home, the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel.

Saturday's scholarship banquet was a symbolic reminder of the payoff from Perseverance. Students, parents, friends and members of Omega Psi Phi joined to honor another successful year with scholarships, awards, student and parent recognition and overall, thanks to the students for a job well done during a trying year. The abrupt move to a temporary home did not slow the program's progress at all. Project ENRICH continued its climb.

Ironically, the last official activity of the 2025-26 academic year occurred at the very National Wildlife Visitors Center that the students have been shut out from all year. Until Saturday, the saving grace had been provided by Bro. Rev. Dr, Gerald Folsom who, as pastor of Greater Mount Nebo AME Church in Bowie, Prince George's County, arranged for the students to use his church's worship center for the entire academic year. Without that extended hand from a well-respected member of the Fraternity and Gamma Pi Chapter, the students would not have had anywhere to meet for their monthly Saturday activities.

Greater Mount Nebo was honored with the Project ENRICH Director's Award for giving Project ENRICH a place to meet this year. Bro. Basileus Terance Hare, a member of the church's Trustee Board, accepted the award for Bro. Rev. Dr. Folsom.

The point of the day was to honor academic stars and recognize the individual classes, especially the 17 graduating seniors.  Director Bro. Dr. George Montgomery was joined by former Directors Bro. Willie Hines and James Riley Jr., along with Bro. Dr. John Howard as well as Charles DrewMemorial Scholarship Fund chairman Brett Blake in leading the program. Bro. Dr. Montgomery presented the following data:

• The 2026 Seniors class attained a record cumulative number of $9.3 million in scholarships
• The senior class combined for a total of 260 college acceptances, 3118 community service hours, and a 3.62 GPA
• Project ENRICH has graduated 939 seniors with a 100 percent college placement rate since its inception more than 40 years ago

Bro. State Sen. Nick Charles highlighted the event with an exciting and uplifting keynote speech.

"There will be people smarter than you. There will be the ones who have more connections than you. There will be people who seem to have every advantage imaginable.  Never, ever, ever give up when there is somebody who refuses to quit," Bro. Sen Charles said to the students. "Success is often less about being the most talented person in the room and more about being the person who keeps showing up."

Bro. Sen. Charles had two more recommendations for the students: do not be afraid to show up and use their success to lift those who come behind them.

Bro. Sen. Charles put his money where his mouth is by awarding scholarships on the spot to every Project ENRICH student who lives in his District 24. He challenged those who live outside his District to identify their elected representatives and reach out to them for scholarship money.

Project ENRICH is already receiving registrations for the 2026-27 academic year. Visit www.projectenrich.org for more information 

Key award winners were:

Student of the Year -- Anissa Carter (Eleanor Roosevelt High School, rising senior)

Parent of the Year -- Troy Woods

School of the Year - Bowie High School

Roland and Carol Byrd Scholarship Award: Zachary Johnson and Joshua Ritter

Director’s Award - James Booker (new Project ENRICH committee member)

Bill "364" Reese Essay Award winners (across grades) 

1st place  ($500): Mischa Smith, Julye Howard, Logan Pryor, Sanai Jackson

2nd place ($400): Donovan McNeal, Madison Sumpter, Malachi White, Na'Imah Sesay, Joshua Ritter

3rd place ($300): London Nickols, Savanna McCombs, Caitlyann Abang, Zachary Johnson

Video Clip: Keynote Address from Bro. Sen. Charles