Students at West Virginia University will promote awareness of non-violence Feb. 16-18 during the Jerry P. Wilkins Action for Awareness Week.

Events will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, with aRemembrance of the Fallenoutside the Mountainlair.

We invite people to come up and say something about someone theyve lost to violence,said Andrew Rhoden, a graduate student in the sport management program in the School of Physical Education. Rhoden is organizing the events this year, along with fellow grad student Andre Metlock, and other members of the Action for Awareness Committee.

If people can hear whats going on, and hear from other people about a violent act, then they are more likely to relate to the voice, instead of just watching it on TV,Rhoden added.We want people to know violence is not the answer.

A talent show will begin at 9 p.m. Friday at the Gluck Theater with an after party in the Mountainlairs A&B Ballroom.

On Saturday, Feb. 17, the first annual Youth Dodgeball Tournament will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a 2 p.m. Youth Awareness Workshop. Both events will be in Stansbury Hall.

The youth workshop will cover topics of non-violence, education and diversity. Speakers will include three players whose stories were featured in the Disney movie,Remember the TitansPetey Jones, Blue Stanton and Michael Hopskin, along with former football player Phil Furman.

At 7 p.m., the Jerry P. Wilkins Fifth Annual Memorial Banquet will be held at Erikson Alumni Center.

The following day, Sunday, Feb. 18, a service will be held at 11 a.m. at Fresh Fire Ministry.

Tickets for all events will be available for sale at a booth in the Mountainlair. The banquet tickets are $25 and all proceeds will benefit the Jerry P. Wilkins Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship was developed five years ago after Wilkins, a 27-year-old sports management graduate student, was shot at the intersection of University Avenue and Inglewood Boulevard. He died about two hours later at Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Action for Awareness Week was established to commemorate Wilkinsachievements and the impact he made on peoples lives, said Metlock in a letter he wrote to local middle schools to promote the events.

The committee initiated several events to include the community, local youth and the University into the week.

For more information, or to get involved, contact Metlock, 304-741-6275 or Rhoden, 304-216-2010.