HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The Central Virginia Basketball Officials Association honored the men and women who hit the hardwood to officiate local games during its annual appreciation banquet on Saturday.
WTVR CBS 6's GeNienne Samuels served as the emcee at the banquet to honor officials who worked regional and state tournament games this year.
"It is just an opportunity to celebrate success," Central Virginia Basketball Officials Association Commissioner Aaron Lewis said. "Not only that they got the opportunity, but they've done well once they've received the opportunity, and we just give an opportunity to say thank you, and we appreciate the hard work."
Guests and award recipients enjoyed signature meals and giveaways during the event, which ran for about two to three hours.
Central Virginia Basketball Officials Association President Haywood Bostic said the banquet is a chance to celebrate the officials who sacrifice their time and are sometimes overlooked.
"We're here to celebrate ourselves. When we go out, every night we're away from our families every single night, and when we blow our whistle, half of the crowd likes us and half of the crowd doesn't," Bostic said. "Nobody celebrates the officials, so tonight is an evening of celebration."
Lewis said showing appreciation is key to keeping referees on the court.
"First of all, we need people to continue to do this, and if you pour into people and just say thank you every now and then, I think they'll work harder for you," Lewis said. "And so that's why we've been able to be successful in keeping people and also attracting new people, because we appreciate what they do."
The group also presented a $14,000 check for the Thompson Hospitality Scholarship, which will go toward educating the next generation of basketball officials.
For folks interested in becoming a referee, Lewis said training class schedules and contact information can be found at myCVBOA.net.
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