It’s hard to believe but the Black Association of South Hills for Women better known as BASH has been around for 30 years.

On April 5 they held their annual scholarship bash at Bella Sera by Greco’s in Canonsburg, Pa.

RAISING FUNDS IS FUN—Barbara Barnes, Renee Mack, Ty Walton, Diana Ward, Monica Miller and Haya Eason.

More than 400 filled the extraordinary space and enjoyed an afternoon filled with vendors, silent auction baskets, 50/50 raffles and door prizes for every table.

After a hearty welcome from BASH president, Sheila McCollum, Loretta Williamson introduced WPXI’s Danielle Nottingham, the emcee for the afternoon.

Nottingham hails from New Jersey and is enjoying her time in Pittsburgh.

The lunch was a tantalizing selection prepared by the Bella Sera chefs. After lunch it was time for the BASH Players to go down memory lane via a selection of well-rehearsed vignettes.

Four vignettes: “Little Sally Walker,” “I was 16 Once,” “I’m Every Woman” and “The Golden Girls” went way back to an early BASH meeting, seeing a young daughter off to a dance, busy women counting on their sister friends and enjoying the golden seasons of life. BASH members Ty Walton and Renee Mack developed the skits.

BASH was founded in 1978 by 11 women of color who saw the need for new residents to be introduced to other African-American families in the South Hills community.

The women united both old and new residents to form a solid group of conscientious and creative women.

It is through their fund-raisers and corporate donations that BASH is able to award scholarships to graduating high school seniors within the target areas of the South Hills and Washington County who will go on to pursue higher education at an accredited university, college, community college, technical or trade school.

BASH has awarded more than 300 scholarships to deserving high school seniors in areas south of Pittsburgh.

The 2007 scholarship recipients were Dorothy Kamina, Brittany Moore, Ashley Moore, Justin Coney, Tamar King, Amber Makokele, Ray Price and Alexis Williams.