This is the fourth and final 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.”
President’s Ambassador Award: The Abbie DeLoach Foundation
Jimmy DeLoach, founder of the Abbie DeLoach Foundation, has deep roots at Georgia Southern that stretch all the way back to the Erk Russell era. He started as a graduate assistant with Russell and later became an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator until 1987, when he transitioned to his family’s business. Years later, Jimmy’s daughter, Abbie, chose Georgia Southern as her home with plans to pursue a career in nursing.
In 2015, an accident claimed the life of Abbie and four of her classmates. Jimmy turned this tragedy into a force for good with the creation of a foundation in her honor. He carefully chose causes to support that reflected the spirit and character of his daughter.
Since 2016, the Abbie DeLoach Foundation has provided scholarships for both nursing students and student-athletes from the area. Additionally, Abbie’s Adventure Race is now a cherished part of Georgia Southern’s homecoming celebrations, alongside the True Blue 5K.
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.
