User ID: Password:

September 14, 2010

Supporting Virgina Tech Athletics Since 1949

By: Brian Thornburg

The Student-Athlete Experience

Off to a great start - The Virginia Tech volleyball team started off its home season in style by winning its fifth consecutive Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational.

“I am and always will be proud to be a Hokie. I am fortunate to attend such an amazing school and be part of a successful program. Thank you for allowing me to accomplish so much in my time here.”

Erin Leaser
Junior - Volleyball

“I am thankful to be part of the Hokie athletic family. During my four years I have been here, I have learned more and more how close knit our athletics department is. Thanks for your support and for making Virginia Tech feel like a home away from home.”

Amy Wengrenovich
Senior - Volleyball

Donor Files

From left to right - Jennifer & Laurence Loesel, Lesley Visser (middle), Dennie and Sherrie Denison.

Dennie P. Denison, III

Current Hokie Club Level: Golden Hokie Champion

Hokie Club Member Since: 1990

Currently Resides: Salem, Virginia

Family members: Sherrie Denison (wife), Jennifer and Laurence Loesel (daughter/son-in-law), Muffin Denison (beagle)

Q: What year did you graduate?
A: Graduated in 1972. However, my diploma says 1973.

Q: What was your motivation to be involved in the local Roanoke community by becoming involved with the
Roanoke Valley Hokie Club?

A: I began attending the club’s pregame lunches years ago and found them to be informative. I wanted to volunteer my time to further the Hokie cause.

Q: What was your role with the Roanoke Valley Hokie Club with the recent first Annual Roanoke Valley Hokie Club Football Kickoff Dinner?
A: My role in the club is VP of Fundraising. Sherrie and I co-chair this role. I was responsible for overseeing the entire event (with the help of a GREAT committee) and making sure it was a success. We had 30 sponsors, vendors, a silent auction, two live auction items, a 50/50 raffle, Lu Merritt, Frank Beamer, Bimbo Coles and Keynote Speaker, CBS Sportscaster Lesley Visser. We had approximately 460 people in attendance and raised $16,000. This exceeded my expectation for our first year!

Q: Tell us about your experience in the recent “Biggest Hokie Fan Contest.”
A: This contest was established by The Roanoke Times. Contestants submitted 60-second videos of why they were the biggest Hokie Fan. My video included our VT house complete with VT heat pumps, Hokie stone and a “mancave” filled with orange and maroon. The video closed with me on the roof of my RV with the Hokie Bird at a tailgate and 80 screaming fans. I finished second and donated the $500 prize to Feeding America food bank.

Q: When you drive into Blacksburg, Va. for a game, are there any “must do” things for you and your family?
A: Game Day begins by loading family and friends in the RV five hours prior to game time and heading for Lot 3. We sometimes plan our menu based on the opponent and host about 30 people. We have a 15-foot flag pole that goes into place, and we roll out “grass” on the pavement.

Q: Over the past decade, Virginia Tech athletics has undertaken tremendous facilities growth and renovations. Do you have a favorite project? Why?
A: Our last donation was to the new basketball practice facility. I’m looking forward to seeing our name above one of the lockers.

Interesting fact:
A: For my 50th birthday, I became a “permanent” Hokie with a VT tattoo just below my belt line - enough said.

A Thank you too New and Upgrading members

The following represents annual fund donors (gifts from $100 to $10,000 annually) who have either joined as new Hokie Club members or have upgraded their Hokie Club membership from January through August 2010. We want to celebrate these commitments of helping improve Virginia Tech athletics by recognizing them and by saying “Thank You!”

New members

Jennifer Adkins - Ellicott City, MD
Aaron Aguinaldo - Annandale, VA
William Ames - Virginia Beach, VA
Cynthia Andrews - Knoxville, TN
Kathleen Ansley - Savannah, GA
Chanda Ashley - Charlottesville, VA
John Ayers - Roanoke, VA
Laura Baker - Fishersville, VA
Adam Bartlett - Radford, VA
Mark Bates - Leesburg, VA
John & Cynthia Baute - Blacksburg, VA
Eric Belcher - Pembroke, VA
Patrick Blevins - Roanoke, VA
Thomas Bortner - Woodbridge, VA
Travis Brammer - Salem, VA
Geneva Brown Low - Moor, VA
Matthew Bychowski - Roanoke, VA
Michael Caggiano - McLean, VA
Alen Caldwell - Marion, NC
Jeffrey & Lindsay Call - Blacksburg, VA
Alex Colvin - Ashburn, VA
Fred Cornett, Jr. - Annandale, VA
Steven Cosby - Warrenton, VA
Angela Crandlemire - Boston, MA
Creative Care Resources - Vilas, NC
Clinton Creed - Coats, NC
John DeBusk, III - Saltville, VA
Christopher Dianora - Chesapeake, VA
Scott Dickinson - Roanoke, VA
Jeff Dorsey - Charlotte, NC
Kyle Edwards - Milledgeville, GA
Claude Eley, Jr. - Smithfield, VA
Stuart Evans - Lynchburg, VA
Patrick Finn, Jr. - Charlotte, NC
Matthew Fleet - Hartfield, VA
Lisa Fletcher - Houston, TX
Marguerite Gasiorowski - Williamsburg, VA
Peter Genrich - Easton, MD
George George, Jr. - Salem, VA
Bryan Graham - Centreville, VA
Benjamin Grogan - APO, AE
Bradley Hamsher - Bath, PA
Dana Hansson - Warrenton, VA
Leah Hatcher - Roanoke, VA
Larry Hedblom - Midlothian, VA
Ralph Helms, Jr. - Roanoke, VA
Gregory Hensley - Charlottesville, VA
Leslie Hetrick - Herndon, VA
Robert & Susan Hodous - Charlottesville, VA
Darrell Hollandsworth - Floyd, VA
Lisa Hopkins - Garner, NC
Danny Humphreys - Gate City, VA
Hank Huthinson - Tallahassee, FL
Walter Ickes, Jr. - Georgetown, KY
Luke Itnyre - Bristow, VA
Kevin Jamerson - Norfolk, VA
Nicholas Johnson - Charlotte, NC
Amanda Jones - Danville, VA
Jeffrey Jones - Newport News, VA
Jack Jorgensen, Jr. - Naples, FL
Eugene Joseph - Blacksburg, VA
Perry Julie - Kill Devil Hills, NC
Stephen Kearney - Crockett, VA
Jessica Klacynski - College Park, MD
Kyle Korte - Virginia Beach, VA
Kay Lee - Mechanicsville, VA
David Leonard - Fredericksburg, VA
Jennifer Lienau - Frisco, TX
Bascom Lilley - Bristol, TN
Joseph Livesay - Stephens City, VA
William Long, III - Fairfax Station, VA
Steve Lonker - Vinton, VA
John Lynch - Mullica Hill, NJ
Gregory Mackey - Roanoke, VA
Eric Major - Roanoke, VA
Sarah Marshall - Richmond, VA
Thomas Massie, Jr. - Washington, VA
Randolph Maxwell, Jr. - Vienna, VA
Karen Meadows - Rosedale, VA
Stephen Memery - Reston, VA
Jeffrey Merriman - Glen Allen, VA
Debbie Merritt - Church Hill, TN
Carl Miller, II - Alexandria, VA
Gaynelle Morris - Charlottesville, VA
Matthew Mullen - Alexandria, VA
Rick Mullins - Wise, VA
Kevin Norfleet - Blacksburg, VA
William Payne - Summerfield, NC
Dennis Pearson - Warrenton, VA
Harvey & Dorcas Pearson - Warrenton, VA
Kathryn Pearson - Midlothian, VA
Michael Piranian - Pittsburgh, PA
Kerry Price - Indian Trail, NC
Calvin Pugh - Glen Allen, VA
Richard Roberts - Virginia Beach, VA
Jacob Rosenthal - Lovettsville, VA
William Sanders - Forest, VA
Farid Sardar - Corvallis, OR
Teresa Seagle - Wytheville, VA
Curtis Sheets - Roanoke, VA
Sharon Slater - N. Myrtle Beach, SC
Bob & Judy Smith - Andrews, NC
Charles Snider, II - Forest, VA
Susan Snyder - Lexington, VA
Colby Snyder - Arlington, VA
Randy Spicer - Sterling, VA
Robert Steel - Richmond, VA
Donald Sult - Selma, NC
James Summers - Kingsport, TN
Jeffrey Tanner - Forest, VA
Michael Tedeschi - Warrenton, VA
William Thran - Hampton, VA
Tidewater Landworks, Inc. - Chesapeake, VA
William Toro, Jr. - Norfolk, VA
Jim Trexel - Roanoke, VA
Scott Tribbie - Centreville, VA
John Wall - Newport News, VA
James Walters - Roanoke, VA
Joseph Walters - Roanoke, VA
Charles Ward - Galax, VA
Robert & Peggy Wiker - Charlotte, NC
Joseph Wood - Auburn, NH
Jesse Zadell - Roanoke, VA
David Ziegler - Richmond, VA

Upgrading members

Pamela Anderson - Annapolis, MD
Frank Beale - Richmond, VA
John Berger - Alpharetta, GA
Kenneth Besecker - Athens, GA
James Blackwell - Yorktown, VA
Robert Buchanan, Jr. - Johnson City, TN
Hornick C. E. - Roanoke, VA
Jason Campbell - Lynchburg, VA
Clinch Valley Medical, Richlands, VA
Mitchell Cline - Midlothian, VA
Edward Cook, Jr. - Manassas, VA
Edwyn Cox - Powhatan, VA
John Crist - Broadway, VA
Geoffrey Davidson, II - Mooresville, NC
George Davis, III - Franklin, VA
Joseph Devore - Overland Park, KS
Thomas Diggs Huntsville, AL
Randall Elmore Fuquay - Varina, NC
Joseph Ferguson - Blountstown, FL
Dana Fisher - New Market, VA
Cole Foor - Christiansburg, VA
Mandy French - Tazewell, VA
Mark Goode - Huddleston, VA
Richard Goode - Haymarket, VA
Lawrence Hann - Middletown, RI
Edward Hayes - Roanoke, VA
Phillip Hickman, III - Horntown, VE
Roger Hollandsworth - Floyd, VA
Joseph Howerton - South Hill, VA
Robert Isaac - Norton, VA
Hank & Debbie Jamerson - Dillwyn, VA
Brad & Carolyn Kaufman - Hopewell, VA
Thomas Keith - Ashland, VA
James King - Blacksburg, VA
Stewart Lefler - Simpsonville, VA
Richard & Cynthia Longerbeam - Manakin-Sabot, VA
Darren Loving - Radford, VA
Ashley MacLaughlin - Richmond, VA
Bruce MacPherson - Falls Church, VA
Roger Martin - Gloucester, VA
Mary McGee - Richmond, VA
Nick & Pat Moore - Virginia Beach, VA
Ray & Mary Elizabeth Nebel - Powell, OH
Bruce & B.J. Nuckols - Virginia Beach, VA
Richard Nunnally - Chester, VA
Paul Pemberton - Salem, VA
Ellis Phillips, III - Pinetops, NC
Scott Postle - Kernersville, NC
Gary Powers - Davidson, NC
Arthur Powers - Hardy, VA
Jeff & Jill Purdy - Gaithersburg, MD
Duncan Quicke - Blackstone, VA
Randall Reams - Cincinnati, OH
Leslie Richardson - Charlotte C.H., VA
Steven Rideout - Melfa, VA
David Robinette - Meadowview, VA
Christopher Rountree - Charlotte, NC
Tim Ryan - Dahlgren, VA
Lynn & Hubert Saunders - Evington, VA
John Schafer, Jr. - Courtland, VA
Scarlett & Jon Schmidt - Middletown, DE
Randy Sinclair - Danville, VA
Richard & Kathleen Sorensen - Sterling, VA
Jefferey Spears - Richmond, VA
Amy Spratley - Sterling, VA
Clarence Taylor, Jr. - Lorton, VA
Ronald Wade - Williamburg, VA
Roderick Wade, Jr. - Huntersville, NC
Kathleen Wampler - Blacksburg, VA
Eric Williams - Salem, VA
Lisa Willis - Martinsville, VA
Susan Wilson - Charlotte, NC
Jack Wimmer - Salem, VA
Will & Wendy Wingo - Troutville, VA
John & Susan Yost - New Market, VA