Alumni Group formed to benefit
Central Gwinnett High School

LAWRENCEVILLE - As they say - Once a Black Knight, always a Black Knight.

Riding the coattails of that sentiment, a committee of Central Gwinnett High School graduates has formed an alumni association, the sort of group leaders say has been sorely nonexistent.

A handful of graduates announced the Central Gwinnett-Lawrenceville High School Association as a means to reconnect former Black Knights and bolster area schools. They aim to create alumni databases and track the whereabouts of alumni representing a half-century of graduating classes.

"We want to go as far back as we can," committee member Kay Payne said.

The alumni association, a nonprofit, will offer tax-deductible annual dues for $25 per single membership and $35 per couple (if both are alumni). A Web site is pending that will act as a bulletin board for membership information and upcoming events, Payne said.

The impetus for the association was born of current students' needs.

Another committee member and Central Gwinnett teacher, Renee Humphrey, realized her students didn't have enough books that they would be required to read over the summer last year. So Humphrey turned to the school's alumni association for extra funding - only to find the group didn't exist, Payne said.

"That just triggered it," Payne said. "I can't believe nobody has done this years before."

Through membership dues and T-shirt sales at home football games, Payne said the association hopes to chip in funding to its namesake school - and eventually to its feeder schools as well.

"That's kind of the long-term goal," she said.

For more information, or to receive an enrollment form, e-mail organizer Renee Humphrey at reneelh24@yahoo.com or call Kay Payne at 770-267-6848.

In order to build an alumni data base, the association needs class lists. Leaders urge anyone with access to such lists to e-mail committee member Mike Buffington at kmikebuff@gmail.com.

The Gwinnett Daily Post article here.
A link to this article can also be found on the LNA's Facebook page here.