HALIFAX COUNTY, Va. – Serenaded with the Virginia Tech fight song played by the Halifax County High School band, legendary Virginia Tech football Coach Frank Beamer walked in to a packed house of about 270 people at the Prizery in South Boston.
“We've got a job to do. We've got to build a school,” Beamer said.
Beamer gave the keynote speech at Tuesday’s kickoff lunch for the Halifax County Schools' campaign to raise money to build a new high school.
"A new school, up-to-date facilities, up-to-date teaching techniques. That's what this area needs right now," Beamer said.
Local companies paid $700 per table and got 10 tickets each to the feast.
Along with other contributions, the lunch raised over $15,200.
Halifax County superintendent Dr. Mark Lineburg said Beamer is the perfect person to help kick off the fundraising campaign for a new high school.
“Absolutely, what he did at Virginia Tech was transformational and we're at a place in Halifax County right now where we need to be transformational,” Lineburg said.
Halifax County High School Principal Michael Lewis was pleased with the event even though the money raised is only a fraction of the estimated $100 million cost of a new high school.
“This is an effort here to get started, to get some money going, to get some interest, to build momentum, to get some information back out to our community stakeholders,” Lewis said.
Construction of a new high school could start as early as next year.