The Rev. Shanan Jones.

The 38th annual observance of The Vera Hollis Blackshear Education Fund, Inc., will be held at 11 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 27, at Mother Easter Baptist Church; the Rev. Freddie Castle is the pastor. The Male Gospel Choir will render the music under the direction of Bruce Jordan.

The guest speaker, the Rev. Shanan Jones, is the administrative pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., the home church of Martin Luther King, Jr. A graduate of the Interdenominational Theological Center’s Morehouse School of Religion, Jones holds a Master of Divinity, with a concentration in missiology, as well, as a Master of Arts in Christian education. He and Kattya reside in Atlanta, Ga., with their black Labrador retriever, Mr. Samson and their Beagle, Ms. Maggie.

The Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Vera Hollis Blackshear, an honor graduate of Moultrie High School. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Fort Valley State College, a Master of Science from Hunter College in New York, and was pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy from Long Island University in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the time of her death. As an educator, religious and civic leader, Blackshear positively influenced her students and others, according to a press release from the scholarship organizers.

Blackshear was the wife of the Rev. Frank Blackshear, the younger sister of Ozie Belle “Jackie” Adams and the late Mary Hollis Glenn, and niece of Virginia King, Ernest (Leatha) Snelling, and Isaac Hogan.

The Memorial Scholarship Fund’s contributors’ tax deductible donations have helped more than 90 high school students with their college expenses for the past 38 years.

Anyone wishing to contribute, may mail tax deductible donations to The Vera Hollis Blackshear Education Fund, Inc. P. O. Box 371566 Decatur, Ga., 30037-1566.

2013 Vera Hollis Blackshear Scholarship recipients are Bethia J. Dawson, Jazmyne Abriana Pittman and John Wright.

Dawson is attending Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., where she is majoring in chemistry and pre-pharmacy. Her goal is to become a pharmacist. While at Colquitt County High School, she was an honor student and participated on the cheerleading team. She is an active member of Mother Easter Baptist Church, where she plays the piano for Sunday school. She is the daughter of Cynthia Dawson and the late Wayman Dawson.

Pittman is a freshman honor student at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala. She is majoring in business management with a minor in international business.  Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree, she plans to attend law school. She is the daughter of John and Yolanda Anderson of Snellville, Ga. She is the granddaughter of Clarence and Patricia Merritt of Moultrie. She is the goddaughter of William and Brenda Sellers, also of Moultrie.

Wright is majoring in business management at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. He continues to excel in college. At Ebenezer Church, he is active on the usher board and is an active participant in various holiday programs/plays, and an active member of church school. At Morehouse he is a part of the Literary Club and honor society. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Wright Sr.