Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1480910
60 UCW OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2022 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Thank You for Voting Us BEST FUNERAL HOME Proudly Serving the Fayetteville Community for 124 Years Rogers & Breece F U N E R A L H O M E 500 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC RogersandBreece.com Memorial Services, Open & Close Grave, Tent & Setup Embalming with Viewing Cremation Caskets, Urns and Urn Vaults Prearranged Cremation Plans CREMATION SERVICES B E S T OF FAYETTEVILLE 2021 Our Family Serving Your Family Since 1898 MU holds ribbon cutting for Robert J. Chaffin Nursing Building a STAFF REPORT On Sept. 16, Methodist Uni- versity held an official ribbon- cutting ceremony that unveiled the new name of its state-of-the art nursing facility at the center of campus, now known as the Robert J. Chaffin Building. It comes on the heels of a record-setting gift of more than $14 million from the estate of Robert J. Chaffin following his passing in 2021. More than $12 million of the gift will go directly to student scholarships — with a portion going directly to nurs- ing students — with another $1.5 million designated to name the facility that houses the nurs- ing program. During the ceremony, Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden demonstrat- ed his gratitude for the Chaffin family as Chaffin's nephew, Sam Byrd, and his niece, Valerie Chaffin, sat in attendance. "I want to express my deep ap- preciation to Robert Chaffin and his family," said Wearden. "is is a once- in-a-career type of gift. It changes the University for the better and will have a lasting impact. is is a very special moment for Methodist University and the Chaffin family." A few dozen students from MU's nursing program attended the cer- emony and lined up underneath the new building sign that bears Chaffin's name. "I truly didn't understand the im- pact [Robert Chaffin] had until I got here and saw the building with the nursing students," said Valerie Chaf- fin. "It's helping me realize his legacy and how important education and scholarships are, especially for nurs- ing students. He made great plans for this gift, and now we're just carrying it out." "It's important that Bob's legacy continues forward because of his interest in helping young people," said Byrd. "He lived to be 93 and part of that was because he surrounded him- self with younger people and the fact that he had a bright, jovial attitude. If he were here, he would say this was beautiful and exactly what he wanted." Chaffin grew up in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina, where his family has lived since the early 1800s. His great grandfather, W. S. Chaffin, was a circuit preacher and clergyman at Camp Ground UMC in Fayetteville, a place of worship where the Chaffin family has continued to preach, at- tend, and serve since the 1830s. He served in the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II and later in the U.S. Army. Chaffin would go onto a professional career with savings and loan businesses across Fayetteville, where he also served on multiple boards including Camp Ground UMC. Chaffin's transformative gift will undoubtedly leave a huge impact on the nursing program, which has an incredible history of preparing students for a career in nursing. On top of an outstanding group of faculty, and a low student-to-faculty ratio, the program's Robert J. Chaffin Building includes a 10,000-square-foot general simulation hospital that includes a discharge area, pharmacy, skills lab, nurse stations, private hospital rooms, triage suit and simulated patients. "is gift is incredible for our students and the University," said Dr. Rakesh Gupta, chair of the MU Board of Trustees. "An endowment keeps the cost of education down and changes the trajectory of the University in the short and long term. We will always remember Robert Chaffin." Madeline Wilson, one the MU nurs- ing students benefitting from Chaffin's gift, said her dreams are made pos- sible because of his generosity. "When I joined the nursing pro- gram, I had to quit my night job, and e Robert J. Chaffin Endowed Nursing Scholarship will allow me to graduate with my RN-to-BSN this year," said Wilson. "When I see the name Robert J. Chaffin on the nursing building, I will forever remember his impact on me and other students." EDUCATION During a ceremony for Methodist University's newly named Robert J. Chaffin building, Chaffin's nephew Sam Byrd (center left) and niece Valerie Chaffin (center right) are surrounded by students, faculty and staff as they cut a ribbon to officially signify the naming of the building. (Photo courtesy Methodist University)