FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 10, 2000 CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 NOV. 18 BANQUET AT DRAKE TO RAISE FUNDS FOR 'TALENTED TEN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM' A kick-off fundraising banquet for the new "Talented Ten Scholarship Program" sponsored by the Mu Omicron chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity will be held at Drake University on Saturday, Nov. 18. The event, which is open to the public, will start with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m. and a dance at 9 p.m. in Parents Hall at Olmsted Center, 29th Street and University Avenue. Drake President David Maxwell will be the keynote speaker at the banquet, an annual event celebrating the fraternity's Founder's Day. The Omega Psi Phi fraternity and Drake are joining forces to establish the "Talented Ten Scholarship Program," which will eventually provide full-ride scholarships to Drake for 10 African-American males in the Des Moines Public Schools. "The mission of this new scholarship program is to assist African-American males in the pursuit of educational attainment, so that these young men will become leaders in their chosen professions and the community at-large," said Ron Mells, president of the Mu Omicron chapter of Omega Psi Phi. The fraternity, which was founded at Howard University in 1911, is working to raise $300,000 to support the scholarship program. Drake will match the funds generated by Omega Psi Phi. Next year, Omega Psi Phi and Drake will work with the Des Moines Public Schools to identify a pool of applicants and eventually 10 recipients of four-year, full-ride scholarships to attend and graduate from Drake. The first entering "Talented Ten" would graduate as a group in the spring of 2006. Reservations are required for the Nov. 18 banquet, which costs $50 per person. For reservations or more information about the scholarship program, call (515) 288-3772 or send an e-mail message to ronmells@earthlink.net.