Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 30, 1995 TAG: 9505310031
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KATHLEEN WILSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Bud was in trouble.
``I had a lot of speeding tickets,'' explains Bud.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
``Judge Kidd looked me right in the eye and told me my biggest problem was that I was hanging with the wrong crowd.''
Sooner or later, the judge told him, his association with some of these folks was going to require that Bud pay the piper. Quite possibly by going to jail.
But Judge Kidd had other plans for Bud.
If Bud was going to serve time, Kidd wanted it to be with right kind of people. He sentenced Bud to 250 hours of community service.
``I didn't realize it then, but by giving me community service, the judge changed my entire life.''
Bud served his 250 hours in no time flat, setting up tents and pulling clean-up duty for Roanoke Festival in the Park.
Today, Bud Pritchett is one of Festival in the Park's most valued volunteers. No one can begin to estimate the number of hours he's logged that weren't required by the terms of his court obligation.
``I can't say enough good things about him,'' says Wendi Schulz, executive director of the nonprofit organization.
``He never says no,'' she continues. ``If you need something done, you just call Bud. And you know it will get done.''
I met Bud at the Festival in the Park Gala, held last Thursday night at the Jefferson Center.
Dapper in his tuxedo, Bud is a class act from head to toe, and he is proud of the organization that he claims saved his life.
``If I hadn't gotten involved with volunteering or with Festival, I know I'd probably be in jail right now.''
``Wendi [Schulz] and Mark [Loftis] gave me a chance to be something,'' he says reverently. ``And don't you think I don't feel grateful every day because of that.''
Bud's is one of those people you meet and think, ``gee, I'm really happy I met him.'' His energy is endless and - without fail - positive.
Amy Whitlow - who is Festival's development director, my fellow redhead and a just plain all-around neat person - promised the party would be fun.
``I've even been told there are supposed to be actual eligible, single men there,'' she said, knowing which button to push to get me out to an event.
And, you know, she was right.
I'd never been to the Festival Gala, and my impression was that it would just be the same crowd from Affair in the Square migrating farther up Campbell Avenue.
But I was wrong.
This affair is the only ``black-tie-preferred'' event I think I've gone to here in Roanoke. (I think Affair in the Square and others are ``black-tie-optional.'')
The Festival Gala guests were an older, more mature and less rowdy crew than those who usually frequent Affair in the Square.
But that doesn't mean they weren't fun. Or stylish.
The crowd was stylish.
Vintage dress seemed to be all the rage. I was wearing my lavender, circa 1940, gown when I met Janice Dinkins in a vintage Victor Costa confection of brown taffeta lined with melon.
Most of those in attendance were volunteers who support Festival by donating not only their time but their money.
At first I thought Bobby Lilly was a waiter. I mean, he sort of looked like one, wearing a red-and-white striped vest with a white shirt and black trousers.
No, Bobby is a lawyer in Narrows, and his grandmother, Pat Lilly of Peterstown, W.Va., made the vest for him.
Shannon James - a darned good looking guy who works in the financial services department of Roanoke Memorial Hospital, but was serving as master of ceremonies on this evening - was wearing the oh-so-fashionable band collar shirt with his tux, just like Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise sported at the Oscars.
And there are no better dancers than Learlene Wilmer, 65, and her husband Al Wilmer, 68. The two ruled the dance floor during ``On Broadway.''
I sought out Bud as I left the party to tell him how much I'd enjoyed meeting him.
It was near midnight, and Bud was going to be at Victory Stadium at dawn to begin setting up for the opening night concert, and he would be there until dawn tearing it down.
It occurred to me that I'd never asked Bud what he does when he's not helping others by volunteering.
He's a Pizza Hut delivery guy.
I told him that I think the new cheese-stuffed crust pizza is to die for.
But he admitted that when he gets a stuffed crust pizza, the first thing he does is slice off the stuffed outsides and eat the rest of the pizza later.
And I thought I was the only one who did that!
by CNB