ROANOKE RAPIDS — The Centre at Halifax Community College was decked out with 68 brightly decorated tables Thursday night and even though it was a dark and stormy night, those tables were nearly full by the time emcee Michael Jones welcomed everyone for dinner.

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The annual spring fundraiser banquet for the Union Mission in Roanoke Rapids drew approximately 400 people from all walks of life. They came to enjoy a dinner, some good music, some inspiring stories and to open their wallets to help the mission.

The scheduled speaker, Michael A. Dore, seemed to be the only one who could not make it out for the gala event. Dore, who worked for a while at the Union Mission in Roanoke Rapids as associate director, had a good reason not showing up— he was in the hospital with diverticulitis. Dore currently is director of operations at the Raleigh Rescue Mission.

As the program proceeded, there was concern among some of the audience members. Union Mission Volunteer Brenda Sledge was constantly looking around for her former co-worker and friend as she enjoyed the chicken divan with broccoli catered by Robert Harris. “I don’t see Michael anywhere,” Sledge mentioned nervously.

As soft classical music from local duo Chambergrass filled the Centre’s main room as patrons ate, several other mission volunteers and staff looked around anxiously. Dore was nowhere to be seen.

Even when the Rev. Ron Weeks addressed the crowd, no mention was made of Dore. Weeks told the story of how he had gone from being an addict who drifted away from his family to finally being saved by his own teenage daughter. “I was the addict, I was the alcoholic, I was the guy out breaking trust. My parents didn’t trust me, my brother didn’t, my best friend didn’t, I was all in this world about me,” Weeks said. “My 16-year-old daughter led me to the Lord.”

As Weeks continued the story about how he was inspired to attend the seminary and dedicate his life to his God, he constantly referred to someone who had helped him along the way to Roanoke Rapids. Weeks continued describing this mysterious person and the influence they had on him as he wove his story toward today. Finally he revealed to the crowd it was Marshall Grant he was talking about. Grant knew nothing about receiving a special award and as he walked to the podium, Sledge and several other mission employees continued looking around for Dore.

Grant has worked with the Roanoke Rapids Union Mission since 1952, one year after it was formed. He became director of the mission in 1962 and has just now begun to slow down and look to letting someone else take over his work. Weeks presented Grant with a special plaque to commemorate his many years of service.

As the evening continued, emcee Jones recognized some of the local dignitaries in attendance. He pointed out Sen. Ed Jones, Rep. Michael Wray, Judge Alma Hinton, Halifax County commissioners J. Rives Manning and Rachel Hux, as well as Halifax Board Chairman Gene Minton.

Finally he told the crowd about Dore being in the hospital and apologized, then introduced Dore’s boss at the Raleigh Rescue Mission, Lynn Daniell, who agreed to make the trip at the last minute.

Daniell, the men’s director of the Raleigh Rescue Mission, is from Wilson and played wide receiver for the Wolfpack at N.C. State. He cited local connections in the Roanoke Rapids and Rocky Mount areas, which had heads nodding throughout the audience, but his message went much further.

A gifted speaker, Daniell used a story about a baseball coach and a small player who showed up at practice each day, throwing a ball into the air and missing it with his bat each time he tried to hit it. Daniell said the coach felt sorry for the boy and finally, after several days, went up to the boy and offered to help him. The boy told the coach he was doing fine. “You see,” Daniell said, “I’m a pitcher the boy told the coach.” His job was to keep batters from hitting the ball.

Daniell then explained that some people tend to make assumptions that are not always correct. He tied the story in with the work of the mission and how the face of modern homelessness is changing.

“We’re seeing more women and women with children on the street now,” He said. “We’re seeing younger, single women at our door. We have a real good men’s program, but we wanted to know who will help these new faces.”

Daniell said the mission must change it’s standards to help save a whole new generation of lost people. “Homelessness does not discriminate,” he said.

Daniell finished his address by telling another story about a big, strong football player he once knew. The player became involved with drugs and lost his way. He lost everything including his family, but was able to pull himself up with the help of the Union Mission. That man was his good friend and associate Michael Dore, who even though he couldn’t speak to the audience that night, through his friend and cohort at the mission, was able to bring home the purpose of the fundraiser.