SALEM, Va. – A local organization dedicated to mentorship and youth development celebrated community leaders Thursday night during a special event in Salem.
The SOOUL Foundation hosted its inaugural Waymaker Honors dinner at the Salem Civic Center, recognizing four individuals for their commitment to mentoring and guiding young people in the Roanoke Valley.
The community room quickly filled with supporters as William Byrd football coach Brad Lutz, entrepreneur Doug Pitzer, Read Mountain teacher Brad Collins and William Fleming girls basketball coach Richard Wilson were honored for their impact on local youth.
The foundation, established by Kendrick Gholston, focuses on encouraging mentorship through faith-based educational leadership programs and community partnerships.
Tony Elliott, the head football coach at the University of Virginia, served as the keynote speaker for the evening, emphasizing the importance of mentorship beyond athletics.
“At the end of the day, coaching is my job, but it’s not who I am. It’s not where my identity lies,” Elliott said. “But with my job, there’s a tremendous amount of responsibility. Anytime you have an opportunity to give back, especially to pour into the youth that are so desperately seeking guidance and direction, it’s really a blessing.”
Gholston said the organization works to connect youth with mentors, businesses, churches and community organizations that can help provide support and direction.
“We’re a faith-based ministry, and what we try to do is find mentorship through educational leadership,” Gholston said. “We find people in the area, different organizations and mentors, and we try to supplement what kids are missing in the home and their neighborhoods and schools.”
The Waymaker Honors marked the foundation’s first formal recognition event, highlighting the role local mentors play in shaping the next generation in the Roanoke Valley.