Avid community volunteer Barry Krebs submitted the following report with photos about the Evening In The End Zone hosted by the Georgia Lions Lighthouse at the College Football Hall of Fame:
The Evening In The End Zone hosted by the Georgia Lions Lighthouse at the College Football Hall of Fame was a fantastic event for everyone who attended—especially football fans. This fundraiser helps pay for the wonderful work providing eyeglasses and eye surgeries that Lighthouse provides to people in need.
Guests enjoyed a silent auction, live auction, raffle for a choice of luxurious vacations (won by Past International President Jim Ervin), sponsorships, and many other ways to contribute to this terrific organization. After a superb reception on the third floor of the College Football Hall of Fame, attendees were treated to a delicious dinner and an incredible presentation.
Emcee Jeff Dantzler—joined by Kevin Butler, Bob Hope and David Epps—guided the audience through the Peach Bowl’s humble beginnings and its rise to one of the nation’s top bowl games. Over the years, the Peach Bowl has been kind enough to include Lions Club International as a valued partner.
A heartfelt moment came from Johnson & Johnson’s Kinsey Erwin, who fought to be their representative to the Lighthouse because she had undiagnosed vision problems when she was in school. Once her eyesight was corrected, her grades improved dramatically, eventually leading to her graduation from Georgia Tech. Her testimony highlighted the life-changing impact of accessible eye care.
Following Kinsey’s touching speech, the following distinguished presenters recognized several worthy honorees:
Lions Club International Past International Director Kimbra Smith honored Learn4Life—The Atlanta Vision Project with the Grace Clower Community Partner Award for bringing together nonprofits dedicated to detecting and offering solutions to the visually impaired youth in our community.
Barbara Dooley presented the Vince Dooley Leadership Award to the Warwick Dunn Foundation, which mentors and helps single parents with down payments on first home purchases. He was raised by a single mother who lost her life when he was 18 years old. As the oldest of the five siblings, he assumed the responsibilities of caring for them. He has experienced firsthand the struggles of raising kids and paying the bills. His foundation also teaches financial literacy and awards scholarships to our youth.
Cheryl C. Lee (the daughter of George Crumley) recognized Delta Airlines with the George Crumley Vision for the Future Award. She shared an incredible story about her father coordinating transport of a rare medicine—moving it from the CDC in Atlanta to Delta Airlines, then to Pan Am Airlines—within 36 hours in time to save the life of a child in South America. Delta Airlines has been a great partner to the Peach Bowl and the GA Lions Lighthouse for many years.
Lions Past Council Chairman for Georgia and GA Lions Lighthouse Board Chairman Dennis Chapman presented the Lighthouse Beacon Of Hope Award to Thomas Eye Group for their nonprofit partnerships, volunteer efforts and community outreach. He also took a moment to recognize the GA Lions Lighthouse staff, who work tirelessly to provide eyecare throughout the year and worked very hard preparing for this fundraiser.
The evening concluded with very generous surprise donations from Delta Airlines and Kia Motors. Thanks to the support of sponsors, staff, volunteers, and Lions across the state, the Georgia Lions Lighthouse raised over $545,000 to help serve the visually impaired throughout Georgia!
We deeply appreciate everyone who made this remarkable night possible.
