Loran - Smith
Loran
The University of Georgia chapter of the National Football Foundation, the largest chapter in the country for over 15 years, held its annual awards banquet earlier this week— perhaps its most successful event in its 40-year history. The banquet was preceded by a golf outing which enables the chapter to provide scholarships to deserving athletes, making contributions to local charities and recognizing outstanding citizens in the community.
A highlight of the evening was remarks from Brian Jordan who was a multisport star, playing both football (Atlanta Falcons) and baseball (St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves). His life after pro sports is an exemplary as they come. His foundation provides scholarships for deserving boys and girls and he is an advocate for stimulating literacy among youth. He works diligently for kids to foster a love of reading. This is a man who is linked with multiple charities, giving of himself to the good of the communities where he has lived. When a selfless individual gives of himself to good causes, we should shout hosannas to him and his efforts to make our world better for those who are confronted with challenges.
An admirer of this selfless man and learning about his altruistic endeavors along with the impactful influence of his warm-hearted mother who always underscored the classroom at every opportunity, makes me think of this poem which I have committed to memory.
“You may have wealth untold, “Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold, “But richer than I you will never be, “I had a mother who read to me.” That was part of Brian’s upbringing and makes anybody who knows him heap praise in his direction with high marks for the things he does and accomplishes.
In a swift moving banquet routine, the chapter honored, with an assist from the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation of Tucker, five scholar athletes from Northeast Georgia. These are kids who have excelled in the classroom as well as the field of play. With a major assist from the Wilson Foundation, the Chapter provided scholarships for these scholar-athletes from Northeast Georgia: Coleman Moore, Hart County; Cohen Brown, Madison County High School; RJ Knapp, Jackson County High School; Hudson Stephens, Oconee High School; Shea VerStraete, North Oconee High School. They were recognized by Judge Lawton Stephens, a longtime friend and supporter of the UGA chapter. He is also a trustee of the Wilson Foundation.
Fred Butler presented the Coca-Cola Helping Hand Award to April Dorsett of “Safe Kids Athens.” SKA in partnership with Athens Regional offers free programs focused on preventing the most common causes of childhood injury among other tenets of this worldwide organization.
The Jack Turner Award was presented by Jesse Hickey to UGA punter Brett Thorson and quarterback Gunner continued from page
Stockton whose responses delighted the full house that patronized the annual awards banquet.
Georgia Power executive Tony Ferguson handed out $5,000 checks to the two local public high schools Cedar Shoals (Dreco Thomas) and Clare Central (Jon Ward) and with Synovus (Jody Patton and John Tebeau) honoring Clarke Central’s Triston Thomas and Cedar’s Dorian Thrasher with scholarship grants.
Robert Miles recognized Luke Bennett, Drew Bobo, Jacob Fleming, Terrell Foster, Jordan Hall and Gunner Stockton with Billy Payne awards which honors UGA football players who have stayed with the program for four years and have graduated with a cumulative 3.0 GPA.
The J. Reid Parker Post Graduate Achievement awards, sponsored by John Parker and were introduced via video by Fran Tarkenton, UGA and NFL great who was Georgia/s first Academic All-American: Shaun Chapas, Dicky Clark, Steve Herndon, Brannan Southerland, Ken Veal, and Malcolm Mitchell.
Mitchell, who won a Super Bowl ring, playing for the New England Patriots, and a children’s book author, delighted the audience with his humorous and inspirational remarks.
The contribution to College Football award was given to David Shipley, UGA’s faculty chairman of athletics. Shipley, a long-time faculty member of the Georgia Law School, has been a fixture on the University’s athletic scene, along with his wife Jenny, for a great number of years, an engaging and seasoned voice for the betterment of athletics for all teams on campus.
Kevin Price, chapter president, presented the chapter’s Distinguished American Award to Dr. Allan Barber, long time Vice President for Finance for the University and Treasurer of the UGA athletic award. A native of Athens, Barber is a proud member of several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Beta Alpha Psi and Pi Alpha Alpha.
The chapter also recognized Orlean Castronis with the Distinguished American Award, and is she ever distinguished! She is 102 years old and bounded energetically to the podium to offer remarks. The widow of the late Mike Castrois, one of the most popular members of the Athens community— coach, administrator, counselor at the Athens Y-Camp and everybody’s good friend.
Orlean is a graduate of the Henry Grady College of Journalism and worked with the International News Service during World War II. She still drives her car to the Y where she enjoys a daily workout followed by grocery shopping on some days, reading a plethora of books and sipping a vodka tonic while watching the nightly news.
The chapter also recognized Lou Perno, former president of the chapter, a former sports medicine associate for the Bulldogs with its “Friend of the Hall Award.” Lou has always been an enthusiastic supporter of the UGA chapter. Also recognized were Robert Miles, Tom Steele, who provided Bubba Burger door prizes for the evening, and Mia Frishman, student assistant in the Bulldog Club, A graduating senior from Jackon Hole, Wyoming, Mia has been most valuable player for the chapter for four years, bringing about dedication and organization to the weekly function of the nation’s top chapter.
“This was one of the best banquets we have had,” said President Kevin Price. “We get great positive feedback from the young athletes we honor and to see the positive impact that takes place with them makes us proud. We thank our many loyal sponsors who make it all possible for us to recognize, in addition to scholarathletes, people in our community.
“We’d like to especially thank David Smith for his work as head of our golf outing committee for his hard work, and we appreciate the good response we get from so many celebrities who support us and help us put on a fun event which provides funds to make our chapter successful. To hear the keynote address by Brian Jordan, who is such an inspiration to all of us for his career as an athlete and the things he does with his foundation to support of many charities gives everybody a warm feeling.”
Attending for the first time was Phil Marwill, Director of Communications for the National Football Foundation. “Like so many, I was overwhelmed with the hospitality I received in Athens and it was great to see the passion that the community has in supporting the Georgia chapter. It was impressive to see the many celebrities who played in the golf outing to help the chapter with its funding. It was impressive that the chapter honors so many scholar athletes, both high school and UGA. Then to hear moving speeches by several of the athletes honored and to hear such inspiring remarks from Brian Jordan made for an uplifting evening.
“I was blown away with the presence and comments from Orlean Castronis, such a nice person whose long life has been associated with football from a journalist to a coach’s wife. It was a fine banquet which I truly enjoyed to the fullest.”
