On March 14, 2012, the MS Society’s local Blue Ridge Chapter had their 21st annual Dinner of Champions to award this year’s winner with the MS Silver Hope Award. This year, Virginia Tech Head Coach, Frank Beamer was honored for his years of service not only as a great football coach, but as a leader and champion in his community.

Shane Beamer was the Master of Ceremonies, and did an outstanding job regaling the audience with stories about his father. Billy Hite and Greg Roberts were also on hand to “roast” the coach and tell humorous anecdotes from their years of friendship with Coach Beamer. At the end of the evening, a surprise guest, Coach Mike Gottfriend whom Beamer worked under at Murray State, was introduced to honor Beamer. Through all of the light-hearted banter, one thing was said about Coach Frank Beamer repeatedly, he is a loyal man, who values his friends and family, and to him coaching is about more than football.  It is about making a difference in the lives of the young people he coaches, and about creating a football program that makes the Hokie nation proud, not just because of wins, but because of the character of the team.

Matt and I were honored to attend this event as guests of Alexander Boone from Boone Graham Thomas Construction. Alexander served as Vice Chair on the MS Dinner Committee along with many other local philanthropists. We, at Spencer Technology Solutions, are grateful to all of the members of the Blue Ridge MS Chapter for their hard work to fight this disease. We applaud you, and are thankful not only for Coach Beamer, but for all the many champions we have in our community.