HIGH POINT, N.C., Dec. 4, 2015 – As more than 875 members of the community rang in the holiday season at High Point University’s 45th Annual Prayer Breakfast today, a Triad leader was honored for her contributions to the city of High Point and beyond.
Dr. Nido Qubein, university president, announced at the Prayer Breakfast that as HPU makes the lead gift for a splash park to be built at the Carl Chavis YMCA, it will also name the splash park in honor of Carlvena Foster, executive director of the YMCA.
Foster is also a Guilford County Commissioner, a former member of the Guilford County Board of Education, and a member of the United Way of High Point’s African American Initiative, the Furnitureland Rotary Club, High Point Principal’s Fund, the February 11th Association, the Communities in Schools of High Point Board, and the last graduating class of the historic William Penn High School.
“We shout from the mountaintop that we want this park to be named in honor of none other than Carlvena Foster,” said Dr. Nido Qubein, High Point University president. “We honor you for your extraordinary citizenship and devoted leadership. We love you, appreciate you and congratulate you.”
“I see all of you so often come together in this community to create opportunity for our children to experience success,” said Foster when she accepted the honor. “I am a product of this community, and this community lives in me and it’s in my heart. It’s never about me, but about all of us. Thanks to all of you for making this splash park another success in the lives of our children. And from the bottom of my heart, I thank Dr. Qubein and the High Point University family for this legacy you allow me to leave for my children.”
HPU’s Prayer Breakfast is a longstanding community tradition that ushers in the holidays. Each year, the university feeds the community and welcomes a speaker to deliver a Christmas message. This year’s Christmas message was delivered by Dr. Johnny M. Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia, one of the largest churches in the United States. Under his ministry the church has grown from 1,000 members to more than 19,000. In 1996, Hunt served as president of the Pastors’ Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention, and he served two terms as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Hunt spoke of the Advent season and his own conviction 43 years ago. After a life of gambling and fighting, he says he opened his heart to a relationship with Jesus Christ and changed the way he lived.
“My friends said, ‘Oh, you found religion.’ But all the difference between heaven and hell is religion and a relationship with Jesus Christ. The most important decision I made 43 years ago was to begin that relationship. Today I am reminded of a friend of mine who once said that whenever I’m on a platform, I should always remind everyone I speak to that eternity is too long to be wrong. If you leave here with anything today, leave here knowing that.”
The event also included special music by the HPU Chapel Choir, directed by Dr. Elizabeth Doebler, as well as a silent prayer held in memory of alumni, members of the university family, the community and other friends who have died during the past year.