Updated Saturday, 5:48 p.m.
Several inches of snow fell overnight in and around Davidson, forcing the cancellation of Parks & Rec programs, school activities, a Music at St. Alban’s silent film, and other Saturday events, as well as Sunday’s planned community service project at Davidson College Presbyterian Church to help earthquake victims in Haiti. The Davidson men’s basketball game will go on as scheduled.

Have other weather related cancellations? Email ’em to editor@davidsonnews.net.

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Trustee’s gift aimed at helping college lure more international students

Carlos Alvarez

Davidson College has received a $10 million gift from Mexican-born entrepreneur Carlos Alvarez and his wife Malu to establish a new scholarship program for international students.

Creation of the Alvarez Scholars Program comes as Davidson College tries to implement a key goal of a strategic plan adopted last October: “internationalizing” the campus by admitting more international students and expanding the international curriculum and awareness.
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By MICHELE MILLER HOUCK
DavidsonNews.net

The Fifth Third Bank Souper Bowl VI benefiting the Davidson Housing Coalition’s HAMMERS program   Saturday, February 6 from 11 am to 2 pm in the Lilly Family Gallery of Davidson College’s Chamber’s Building.  Members of the public are invited to enjoy and judge soups from local restaurants and at the same time benefit the program that helps local residents with emergency repairs.

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Fans dressed in black came to Blackout Belk Thursday night. Davidson beat College of Charleston, 86-71. The evening raised money for the local charity Circle de Luz. Details in Sports. (Tim Cowie photo)

See a gallery of photos from Thursday night’s Blackout Belk game vs. Charleston in Sports, CLICK HERE>

Local schools are joining the rush to send relief to earthquake victims in Haiti.  Find out below about how Elizabeth Rubens is collecting shoes by making the Cannon basketball coach go barefoot, and about Woodlawn and Davidson IB students selling hearts for Haiti.

Also this week, learn about spelling bee winners at Woodlawn, the Geo Bee champ at Pine Lake Prep, a group of visitors from China touring Cannon and a student educational trip to Europe this summer.  All that plus our school calendar of events (including when Davidson IB’s Future Cities team will go to nationals) are listed below.

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Davidson’s River Run neighborhood will host a donation drive for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont on Saturday, Jan. 30. You’re invited to clean out your closets and help fill up a Goodwill trailer with clothing, household items, furniture and even old computers. The event runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the athletic field parking lot, located at Robert Walker Drive and Davidson-Concord Road. Read the full story

Davidson Farmer’s Market hosts another in its biweekly series of winter tailgate markets Saturday morning in the parking lot next to Town Hall, off Jackson Street. The market has been extended by an hour, running from 9 a.m. to noon. Meanwhile, market organizers are seeking public input through an online survey. Read the full story

Former Town Board member works as national YMCA facilitator

Bill Johnson. (Jennifer Szakaly photo)

By JENNIFER SZAKALY
The Charlotte Observer

Bill Johnson retired as the executive director of the Ada Jenkins Center late in 2007, but his community involvement in this Lake Norman town would rival anyone’s full-time employment schedule.

One political seat and several board positions later, he’s embarking on his latest adventure as a national facilitator for YMCA-USA, the Chicago-based organization that provides support to YMCAs across the United States. Read the full story