Photo Provided 1.The last in-person Martins Ferry Academic Awards Banquet was held in 2019, but the event will return to WesBanco Arena in Wheeling on May 11.

MARTINS FERRY — After two years in limbo, the Martins Ferry Academic Awards Banquet is set for 6 p.m. May 11 inside Wheeling’s WesBanco Arena.

Martins Ferry Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Alecia Hill said the public will finally get to attend the awards ceremony in person after the past two years bound by COVID restrictions. During 2020 and 2021, students still received a plaque for academic achievement, but there was no banquet.

The criteria for student qualification has not changed: All Martins Ferry City School District students from grades five through 12, or any student from outside the area who attends a Martins Ferry City School District school, are eligible to receive a plaque of recognition.

Hill said recipients in grades five through eight must have a grade point average of 3.5, and those in grades nine through 12 must have a GPA of 3.75 to qualify.

“This is still technically our 36th banquet,” Hill said. “The last one we had in person was 2019. The last two years we didn’t have an in-person event, but the students still got their plaques.”

She added that students who qualified for scholarships still received those as well. Hill said seniors who qualified all years from grades five through 12 will also receive a special plaque acknowledging their accomplishment. She said upwards of 1,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event; in 2019, she said, around 855 turned out.

Dorothy Powell, former chamber executive director for 43 years, shared some memories last week of what it was like to serve Martins Ferry and be involved in the event, as well as how much she enjoyed it.

“Oh yeah, I surely did,” Powell said of running the chamber of commerce and all it involved.

“It’s a lot of camaraderie with the businesses downtown, with everyday citizens. It was just a great job to have,” she added. “And you got really involved with the community and did a lot of things to support the community and the businesses.”

She said the academic awards were first held at Martins Ferry’s Recreation Center for the first two years but it became so crowded, meal servers couldn’t get through to the tables. The event was then moved to the White Palace in Wheeling, but it eventually outgrew that place, too. Powell said it had a fire code that allowed only about 500 people to be accomodated. From there, they moved to WesBanco Arena.

“But we didn’t have one the last two years because of COVID, so now they’re really trying to get it back to where it was,” Powell said.

She said work for the awards banquet begins before January, when letters are sent to all school principals so they can inform the students regarding qualifications. After Jan. 1, letters of contribution are sent to everyone who participated in past banquets, including local businesses and even schools that have donated to help cover expenses.

“Yeah, it’s quite a sight to see on the floor … ,” Powell said. “To have all those students and they all sit up front toward the stage, and the parents, or whoever bought tickets, sit in the back. They’re very visible when they receive their picture and their award.”

Anyone who would like to contribute to this year’s event can call the chamber at 740-738-3106.