Serve & Connect announces 4th Annual Gala

A celebration of excellence in community policing

Serve & Connect has announced that their 4^th Annual Knight of Honor Gala will be held this year on Friday, September 27^th, at 6:30 in the evening at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, South Carolina. Nominations are being accepted now through May 31, 2019 for the Officer Gregory Alia Award which will be presented during the Knight of Honor Gala. Tickets for the event are on sale at https://serveandconnect.net/celebrate.

The 4^th Annual Knight of Honor Gala, the premier celebration of excellence in community policing, will honor many of the ways, large and small, that police and community are working together to make our world a safer, healthier, and happier place for all. The event draws over 350 law enforcement leaders, community champions, and change agents each year from across the state. Set in a medieval-themed hall, the event begins at 6:30pm with cocktails, registration, and a silent auction. At 7:00pm, the presentation will begin and will include a keynote presentation by former U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy. It will be followed by fellowship and merriment with an open bar, a medieval-themed feast, and entertainment fit for a king.

The funds raised at this event will go towards Serve & Connect, a 501(c) non-profit based in Columbia, SC, and their overall mission of strengthening communities by bridging the divide between police officers and the citizens that they serve. Serve & Connect is committed to creating better tomorrows by helping communities build trust, optimize collaboration, and foster a shared sense of pride. Their programs establish powerful connections among community members, leaders, organizations, and police in hopes of empowering them to develop a shared voice, vision, and action plan for community improvement.

Now in its fourth year, Knight of Honor was created by Kassy Alia Ray as a way to recognize how both police and citizens build community through acts of compassion and kindness after her husband, Forest Acres Police Officer Gregory Alia, was killed in the line of duty in September 2015.

“My husband was a hero for not only how he died, but more importantly, for how he lived,” Alia said. Since his death, I have often heard of the many ways he touched people’s lives through his compassion and kindness. It is little moments like these which build more connected communities. Through Knight of Honor, we seek to elevate the power of little moments through celebration and help acts of kindness spread throughout South Carolina.”

Sponsorship Package opportunities are available and include VIP Seating, recognition across social media platforms, a feature story in the Serve & Connect weekly e-newsletter, and more. If you are interested in sponsoring the 4^th Annual Knight of Honor Gala, please contact the Serve & Connect Staff who can customize your sponsorship experience at [email protected]. For more information on the event, please visit

https://serveandconnect.net/celebrateor email[email protected].