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Central Baptist College Announces Matching Gift for 2nd Annual Scholarship Gala

November 9, 2020

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Central Baptist College Announces Matching Gift for 2nd Annual Scholarship Gala Central Baptist College will host its 2nd Annual Scholarship Gala on February 20, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. at the Conway Expo Center. The black-tie optional event will be a celebration of patriotism and faith and will feature keynote speaker, Ret. Lt Col Brian Birdwell. The proceeds from the event benefit the Central Baptist College Scholarship Fund which supports all institutionally funded scholarships. 


I am pleased to announce that an anonymous couple has committed to matching contributions to the 2021 Scholarship Gala, dollar-for-dollar, up to $400,000, said Central Baptist College President Terry Kimbrow. We are setting our event goal at $800,000, one hundred percent of which will be used to fund student scholarships. We hope this matching campaign inspires individuals and businesses to support this event and double the value of their donation. The inaugural event held in September 2019 raised in excess of $500,000 through event sponsorships and private donations. 


On September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed just yards away from his second floor Pentagon office, Ret. Lt Col Brian Birdwell was critically wounded and severely burned. Of the burns that covered more than 60 percent of his body, nearly half were third degree in severity. Today, following 39 operations, months of hospitalization and numerous skin graft, Brian has made a miraculous recovery. Despite physical limitations, he testifies not only to his physical healing, but the ultimate miracle of grace through Christ. In 2004, he authored a book, Refined by Fire: A Familys Triumph of Love and Faith, with his wife, Mel. He has served in the Texas State Senate since 2010. I don't know what the conditions will be like in our country by February 20, 2021; however, I am proud to be an American, and I am proud of the way that Central Baptist College honors the men and women who proudly serve our country through military service. Those things will not change, said President Kimbrow. I can't wait to celebrate with many others the red, white, and blue, and to celebrate the amazing blessings bestowed upon us by God. Ret. Lt Col Birdwell is dynamic and inspirational; his story is one of faith and miracles, as is the story of Central Baptist College. 


Event sponsorships begin at $2,000. Single tickets are on sale for $100 each. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cbc.edu/gala or contact Amy Reed, Director of Development, at areed@cbc.edu or 501-205-8934. 


Central Baptist College is committed to transforming lives through education that integrates Christian faith and academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, and is a four-year, private, liberal arts college owned and operated by the Baptist Missionary Association of Arkansas. CBC offers approximately 40 baccalaureate degree programs, 16 athletic teams that compete in the AMC conference of the NAIA, and 6 fine arts performance groups. For more information about CBC visit cbc.edu.



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