Peach State
Alumni Spotlight
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We have a very active chapter that is versatile and includes people of all ages.
More than 600 miles from Morgantown, the WVU tradition lives strong in the hearts of Atlanta residents. The Peach State Alumni Chapter could well be one of the most active alumni chapters in the country. The pride that they felt as students in Morgantown has stayed with them and, if possible, grown since their moves into the real world and Atlanta.
The Atlanta chapter has 50 dues paying members and close to 400 people on their e-mail list which provides updates and invitations to participate in events.
“We have a very active chapter that is versatile and includes people of all ages,” says President Bill Toothman.
The Peach State Chapter has grown leaps and bounds during the last few years and hopes to keep doing so in the future.
Toothman says, “We used to be lucky to get five or 10 people to come to watch football games. Now we never have less than 75 or 100, sometimes even 200, for big games.”
For game watches as well as other events, Peach State members know they will be welcome at Laseter’s Tavern.
“Atlanta has a lot of really big sports bars, but we chose a smaller place, Lasteter’s, because they keep our alumni flag on the wall all of the time,” said Toothman. “It’s our ‘official’ alumni gathering spot.”
With all of the excitement surrounding WVU football and basketball coming to a peak in Atlanta, members and friends of Peach State have definitely been busy.
In January the chapter put together a pre-game Sugar Bowl party. With an expected turnout of 500 and an actual turnout of around 4,000, the Park Tavern was full of energized West Virginia fans. The party included a DJ on one floor, a live band on another, and the WVU Pep-Band and cheerleaders. The party was said by members of the band, as well as cheerleaders, to be one of the best pre-bowl game parties they had ever attended.
Like true Mountaineers, even after a long night of socializing and networking with WVU fans, members were up early to man the booth at the WVU Fan Center the next morning. They answered questions about Atlanta, recommended restaurants and told fans about Sugar Bowl events in the area. They also reserved 100 parking spaces for WVU fans to ensure a positive tailgating experience.
In March they also put on a pre-game event for basketball fans at the team’s hotel during WVU’s Sweet 16 appearance against Texas.
On top of all of this the chapter held its fifth annual golf tournament in May. All of the proceeds from this event, as well as half of the chapter’s dues, go toward the Peach State scholarship fund. The scholarship was started four years ago, but has yet to be given. The chapter is hoping to give the first $7,500 to a deserving Atlanta student who will be attending WVU in fall 2006.
The chapter also holds an annual family picnic in the summer. The picnic is held on a weekend close to June 20th to celebrate West Virginia’s birthday.
To keep in contact with other WVU graduates in the area throughout the year, the chapter holds a monthly happy hour with a turnout of anywhere from 10 to 50 people. The chapter also tries to plan bus trips to games that are within a reasonable driving distance to give fans a chance to watch games in person.
Toothman is also working on organizing a Big East Club in Atlanta. The first networking/cocktail party was held earlier this year.
If you are in the Atlanta area and want to be a part of the fun or just want more information about the Peach State Alumni Chapter, visit their Web site at www.wvupeach.com.