THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 TAG: 9604240035
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARSHA GILBERT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
ANGELA BASSETT, Robert Guillaume, Alphonso Ribiero and Clifton Davis are some of the stars scheduled to light up the Tim Reid Celebrity Weekend, at Norfolk State University, Thursday through Sunday.
Celebrities will help raise scholarship money while competing against local talent in tennis and golf. And they'll just hang out.
``The weekend is good fun,'' laughed Reid, an NSU alumnus whose TV career has ranged from ultra-cool disc jockey Venus Flytrap on ``WKRP in Cincinnati'' to a protective father on his current series ``Sister, Sister.'' That show has just been picked up for another two seasons on the Warner Bros. network.
``It has an energy of its own,'' Reid said of the weekend's events. ``It's totally a community event. It takes a year of planning. My wife (actress Daphne Maxwell Reid) and the university do all the work and I just show up.''
Maxwell Reid, who acted with her husband in ``Frank's Place'' and ``Snoops'' and most recently played Vivian Banks, on the now defunct ``Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is the driving force behind the fund-raiser. She was hard at work at her computer confirming the guest list and mailing out tickets from their farm in Charlottesville.
The six-year-old celebration has raised nearly half a million dollars, which is distributed in full and partial scholarships to students at Reid's alma mater. What started out as the Tim Reid Celebrity Tennis Tournament has grown to include golf, a festival for children and a health fair.
This year's stargazing begins on Thursday at 8 p.m., with a concert at the L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center. Featured artists are legendary R&B singer Jerry ``the Iceman'' Butler, jazz singer Will Downing, and gospel trio Omnis. Tickets are $25.
Fans will shell out $100 a head to compete against their favorite celeb in Friday's Golf Classic, which starts at 8:30 a.m., on Cypress Point Golf and Country Club. Sorry, this event is already sold out.
Even if you can't play a game with them you can still watch invited competitors like Reid, who admittedly hasn't played the game in 15 years; Alfonso Ribeiro, who starred in television sitcoms ``Silver Spoons'' and most recently ``Fresh Prince''; Clifton Davis, who's gone from playing a womanizer on ``That's My Mama'' to being a minister on ``Amen''; Glynn Turman, who can still be seen giving orders in syndicated episodes of ``A Different World'' and Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker, the WBC Welterweight Boxing Champ. Honorary chairman for the event is columnist and author DeWayne Wickham of USA Today.
For $75 you can practice your swing against a celebrity in the tennis tournament 3 p.m. Friday at the NSU Tennis Complex.
It's a real photo opportunity to capture Robert Guillaume, best known for his role as the witty butler turned politician on ``Benson''; Tatyana Ali, who grew up on TV as Ashley Banks on ``Fresh Prince''; Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, U.S. Congressman from Newport News and Billy Davis Jr., of the `60s soul singing group the Fifth Dimensions, who will forever be associated with the hit song ``Up, Up and Away.''
There's another chance to check out their form in the tennis tournament finals at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Friday at 7 p.m., NSU president Harrison B. Wilson hosts a gala to meet and greet the rich and famous at an auction in his campus residence. Tickets are $25.
The black tie dinner, at 7 p.m. Saturday, in the Scott Dozier Dining Hall costs $75 to attend.
Several new events have been added to this year's festival. There's a sponsors-only luncheon and campus tour with the Reids, a free children's festival featuring games, entertainment and carnival amusements hosted by Tia and Tamera Mowry, the twin sisters of ``Sister, Sister,'' and a free fitness festival with health screenings.
``Most of the money raised from the celebrity weekend is divided into partial scholarships of $500 to $1,000,'' said Robert S. Poole, vice president for development. ``On the whole there are 25 to 30 students, who get help from this event per year. The rest of the money is put in an endowment fund.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Tim Reid
[Side Bar]
Listing: Tim Reid Weekend Events
For complete list, see microfilm.
by CNB