ATHENS, WV (WVNS) — Concord Charlie the groundhog sent President Kendra Boggess a text on this snowy Groundhog Day morning to tell her he did not see his shadow, so spring is right around the corner!

Close to 80 guests gathered in University Point’s Pais Fellowship Hall to enjoy Concord University’s annual breakfast buffet, to hear Charlie’s prediction, and to honor Rusty Sarver, alumni of 1994 who is this year’s Grand Groundhog Watcher.

Sarver is co-owner of Main Street Builders, Eastern Door and Glass, Cloverleaf Properties, Eastern Aluminum Fabrication, Longview Properties, and Melrose Enterprises. Sarver has served as a board member at Princeton Community Hospital since 2011, and has also served as Board Chair since 2017.

The Concord Charlie tradition was originated in 1978 by the late Professor R.T. “Tom” Hill. As chairman of both the geography department and the Appalachian Studies program at Concord, Hill started this breakfast tradition to celebrate Appalachian heritage and to also highlight the program at Concord University.