This is the third article in a four-part series featuring this year's honorees of Georgia Southern's Gratitude Gala.
Georgia Southern University hosted its annual Gratitude Gala to recognize key donors for their longtime support of institutional initiatives. The event was held March 28 at the JW Marriott Plant Riverside in Savannah, Georgia, where honorees were presented with awards.
Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero welcomed the crowd and expressed his gratitude for the audience’s unfaltering support for the University. With the support of the dedicated donors in attendance, the University is poised to reach its goals of graduating career-ready students, catalyzing economic development in the region, advancing Georgia Southern’s public impact research agenda, and elevating athletics.
“The people in this room represent Georgia Southern’s most loyal alumni, friends, faculty, staff, corporations and foundations — those who have given $25,000 or more to the University, equipping our mission of helping students reach their academic and career goals,” Marrero said.
“Because of supporters like you, more than $5 million in scholarships were awarded this year. Over the past few years, we have also experienced record years of charitable support, proving that our alumni and friends believe in what Georgia Southern is doing and the impact it will have on our campuses, communities and state.”
The President’s Innovator Award: The Crider Family
For more than 35 years, Billy Crider Jr., and Bill Crider III (‘96) and their family have been steadfast supporters of Georgia Southern, contributing to the Parker College of Business, the Center for Wildlife Education and Athletics, among other programs.
In 2021, the Crider family established a groundbreaking gift for the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing, providing support for the Manufacturing Engineering Department by enabling successful collaboration across departments and colleges through the creation of the Advanced Processing Research Network.
The gift additionally funded impactful student scholarships, provided support for faculty and student research, and the acquisition of critical equipment and software, all of which have advanced the capabilities and reputation of Georgia Southern.
The evening concluded with a "Together We Soar" campaign announcement from Marrero, Trip Addison, vice president of University Advancement and president of The Georgia Southern University Foundation, Inc., and Leonard Bevill, campaign chair.
The fundraising campaign, which was launched in October of 2022 with an ambitious goal of $125 million by June 2026, has secured more than $123 million. As such, it was announced that the campaign has been extended to 2030 with a new goal of $300 million.
To learn more about the award recipients visit the Gratitude Gala web page here.
