Alumnus Ron Fry has mastered the art of partying with a
purpose.
Fry has successfully turned entertaining fellow alumni and
friends into an annual fundraising project. Each year, on his birthday, Fry
uses his special day as a platform to give back to his alma mater by selflessly
sharing his birthday celebration with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University (FAMU) in 2001.
“We have been doing the birthday party fundraiser for over
15 years now,” Fry said. “It’s a five-day weekend with people flying in from
all over D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Tallahassee and more.”
“We have sponsors from Deep Eddy Vodka, Jack Daniels,
Allstate, Farmers Insurance, New York Life, L’Oreal, Ocean Spray and more,” Fry
said.
In 2001, the launch year, Fry’s January birthday mixer
raised $5,000 for the FAMU College of Law, with more than 300 people attending
the event. Fry sent invitations to FAMU alumni who flooded the fundraiser from
all over the nation including Atlanta, Los Angeles and Nashville.
He was able to meet his $5,000 goal in his first year with
the help of big businesses such as Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter, Walmart,
Northwestern Mutual, and Procter & Gamble.
Additionally, Fry has partnered with the Tom Joyner
Foundation and the “fly-jock” himself Tom Joyner to raise funds for FAMU, and
support and spread awareness about other historically black colleges and
universities such as Tennessee State University (TSU). On the Sunday of the
five-day weekend, Fry and his fraternity brother Ron Towels host a game watch
party, celebrating the HBCU experience with alumni at TSU.
Since its inception, the fundraising weekend has helped to
raise more than $6,000 for the Tom Joyner Foundation and more than $20,000 has
gone to support various FAMU organizations and programs. Fry said the
partnership with Tom Joyner, whose son Oscar is a FAMU graduate, has played an
essential role in the successful planning and promotion of the event.
“The Tom Joyner Foundation helps to market the event each
year, blasting it all over social media and beyond,” Fry said. “We are grateful
for Mr. Joyner’s support and also for the foundation employees who attend the
event and provide on-site support each year.”
Fry earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in
1986. He is currently the retail account manager at Republic National. Fry said
that he has always been active in promoting fundraisers for the University
because it is important to pay it forward to an institution that has given so
much to him.
Fry, who was honored in 2014 with the FAMU Distinguished
Alumni Award, explained that his education at FAMU has provided him with a
platform that has allowed him to make a national impact in his career field and
in the community. A member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., he is a board
member of the National Sales Network, the vice president of events for 100
Black Men, and co-founder of several investment clubs through a partnership
with Morgan Stanley designed to teach African Americans about wealth building.
Fry is passionate about FAMU and gives credit to many people
at the University for his success and professional development.
“While at FAMU in SBI I interned at Monsanto, Dow Chemical
Company, and with the Department of Defense at the Pentagon,” Fry said. “I
learned a lot at FAMU under Dean Sybil Mobley, Dr. Thomas Haynes, and President
Frederick Humphries. FAMU taught me how to be prepared for business, networking
and [honing] relationship skills,” he added.