Goodwill Industries Features Rudy Giuliani at Champions Tribute
April 18, 2011
GREENVILLE, SC – October 27, 2011 – Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina is pleased to announce that Rudy Giuliani will be the featured keynote speaker at the third annual Champions Tribute to be held on October 27, 2011 at the Carolina First Center. This much anticipated annual event features a nationally recognized and inspiring speaker and honors six South Carolina residents while celebrating the successes of Goodwill Industries, its team members, partners and supporters. Past keynote speakers were nationally renowned journalist Dan Rather and former Super Bowl Champion quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
We are extremely excited that Mr. Giuliani will be our featured speaker at this year’s Champions Tribute, said Pat Michaels, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Upstate/Midlands. With so much going on in our world today, Mr. Giuliani’s topic, ‘Principled Leadership in a Time of Crisis and Change,’ will be very poignant, especially as our nation remembers the tenth anniversary of the September 11th tragedy in New York City when Mr. Giuliani proved himself a true leader.
Giuliani, who acted as Mayor of New York City from 1994-2001, focused on reducing crime, reforming welfare and improving the quality of life in the city. When, on September 11, 2001, terrorists crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and thousands of New Yorkers were killed, Giuliani immediately began leading the recovery of the city as it faced its darkest hour. He was widely lauded for his steady hand during challenging times. He was named Person of the Year by Time magazine, knighted by the Queen of England, dubbed Rudy the Rock by French President Jacques Chirac, and former first lady Nancy Reagan presented him with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Freedom Award.
At the Champions Tribute, Goodwill Industries will honor the successes of four individuals that have overcome adversity and found employment through Goodwill industries, as well as recognize one local business that partners with Goodwill Industries to provide on-site training and employment opportunities. In addition to these five honorees, the Goodwill Industries Board has chosen SYS Constructors as the recipient of the 2011 Goodwill Industries Champion Award for its service to Goodwill and to the community. SYS Constructors has been an ardent and consistent supporter of Goodwill in every way. In addition to supporting Goodwill with financial and in-kind contributions, SYS Constructors’ Jeff Gilstrap has been an active member of both the Goodwill Board of Directors and the Goodwill Foundation Board of Directors for several years.
Goodwill Industries not only acts as an outlet for donations of gently-used merchandise, but also offers job training, placement and education to help people with disabilities and disadvantages achieve independence. In the 2009/2010 fiscal year, Goodwill produced record revenues which supported job training and placement services for 23,376 individuals in the community, resulting in 4,372 newly employed workers. These services have a potential $71 million economic impact in the 16 counties that Goodwill Industries of the Upstate/Midlands serves.
Tickets to the Goodwill Industries Champions Tribute are $150 each or a table of 10 can be purchased for $1,200. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.goodwillsc.org/championstribute.
