Edna Varner, holding bouquet, fifth from left, with members of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.* What: Dinner of Firsts, a roast and toast of well-known educator Edna Varner that was held at The Chattanoogan, raised $61,381 for Chattanooga State Community College’s Foundation. Stephanie Crowe chaired the fundraiser. Roasters were Elaine Swafford, Pete Cooper, Wade Hinton, Stacy Lightfoot and Keith Sanford.
* Benefits: The money will fund 30 First In the Family Scholarships for the 2017-18 academic year. Nearly half of the students who applied for financial aid during this academic year at Chattanooga State were the first in their families to attend a college, according to Chattanooga State’s website.