Razorbacks Honor Special Fan

FAYETTEVILLE – On Sunday, the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team honored a very special guest before the game.

Mrs. Virginia Burdick, who recently turned 100 years old, has lived in Fayetteville since 1964. She moved here with her husband, Leon, who opened the first Social Security Office in Fayetteville. They found an immediate interest in University of Arkansas sports, joined the Razorback Foundation and fell in love with the women’s basketball program!

Virginia has faithfully attended home games since 1979, with close to a perfect attendance record. She didn’t stop with home games Mrs. Burdick hopped aboard a plane to follow the Lady’Backs to tournaments in Hawaii, Alaska, and the Virgin Islands, which she said she had some really good “stories”. This slam-dunk fan has followed all women’s basketball players with pride, but her heart smiles when she sees or hears the name Amber Nicholas Shirey, an outstanding Lady’Back point guard from 1988-92, now serving as the UA Director of Basketball Operations. Her most memorable game was the first time Arkansas beat Tennessee, even with player Chamique Holdsclaw, on December 29, 1996!