April 13, 2009

Coach Gene Stallings to speak in Centre May 16

 PRESS RELEASE — John Livingston and the late Mary George Waite will be honored at an event next month in Centre featuring former University of Alabama head coach Gene Stallings.

Livingston and Waite will both receive the the Heart of an Eagle Award from the Great Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The awards will be presented at the American Values Dinner on May 16. The event benefits Scouting in Cherokee and DeKalb counties, and will be held on the campus of Gadsden State Community College-Cherokee at 7 p.m.

“We are pleased to have Coach Stallings coming to the area to help celebrate the spirit and achievements of Scouting,” said Great Alabama Council District Executive Seth Hill. “Coach Stallings was a great fit for this event. His story of dedication, determination, and a values driven live parallels well with the values we teach to our youth in the Scouting program today.”

Stallings, who coached at the University of Alabama from 1990 through 1996, led the Crimson Tide to a national championship following their 1992 undefeated season. The Tide defeated the University of Miami 34-13 in the Superdome in New Orleans to win the national title.

During the event on May 16, the Greater Alabama Council will honor two community leaders with the Heart of an Eagle Award. Hill said the award was created to recognize individuals who have made a lasting impact.

“John Livingston and Mary George Waite not only had a great impact on the Scouting program through years of service to Scouting on a local and regional level, but helped make their community a better place for many,” Hill said.

Both individuals served Scouting locally, but also served on the executive board of the Choccolocco Council, which serves 11 counties in northeast Alabama. Livingston and Waite each were elected to serve as president of the Choccolocco Council. Through this position they served as the top volunteer for Scouting.

The event, chaired by Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Director Thereasa Hulgan, was established to serve as a fundraiser for the Sequoyah District of the Boy Scouts of America. The dinner is open to the public and serves as a means to help continue to fund Scouting on the local level.

Over 36 percent of the Greater Alabama Councils operating budget comes from its annual “Friends of Scouting” campaign, the council's annual fundraising drive.
“It is important for us to keep the cost of Scouting low for the families and youth that are involved in the Scouting movement,” said Hill.

Money raised through Friends of Scouting helps to provide camperships, fund local programs, provide leadership training and maintain camping facilities like Comer Scout Reservation in Mentone.

Tickets to the event will sale for $50 per person. Individuals and companies may sponsor a table for $500, $1,000 or $1,500. Table sponsors will receive invitations to a VIP reception with Coach Stallings before the dinner.

Anyone interested in purchasing tickets may contact Hulgan at 927-8455.