NASHVILLE, Tenn., (TN Tribune) – Legal Aid Society, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, today announced that Tennessee State University head football coach and former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George will be the speaker at its annual Breakfast of Champions virtual event, scheduled at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 6.
NewsChannel5’s Jennifer Kraus will host the event, which will begin with a pre-show at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast of Champions, which is held annually in conjunction with Legal Aid Society’s Campaign for Equal Justice, is held annually since 1987 to support the legal nonprofit law firm’s mission.
This year’s campaign has a fundraising goal of $870,000. Please visit www.avcast.me/boc22 to RSVP for the event, to donate or for additional information.
George will speak about how advocacy helped him overcome the adversity he faced throughout his childhood, as well as the importance of being an advocate for others. His many professional achievements include winning the NFL Rookie of the Year award in 1996, making the Pro Bowl four consecutive years (1997–2000) and assisting the Titans to a championship appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV.
“We’re delighted to have Eddie George join us as speaker for this year’s Breakfast of Champions event,” says DarKenya W. Waller, executive director of Legal Aid Society. “His accomplishments both on and off the field epitomize how organizations like ours can help people transcend challenging circumstances to experience fulfilling, exemplary lives.”
The event is being co-chaired by former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her husband Bruce Barry, Thistle Farms CEO Hal Cato and entrepreneur Michael Burcham. Also on the planning committee are M. Suzanne Hartness, chief operating officer of GSRM Law, and Perri duGard Owens, president and CEO of duGard Communications.
“We’re so grateful to have this passionate group of individuals on our Breakfast of Champions planning committee,” Waller said. “Each of them brings a unique background and relationships in the community that we hope will make this year’s virtual event our best-attended yet.”
Megan Barry served as mayor of Nashville from 2015 to 2018 and was the first woman to be elected to the office. Her professional experience includes working as a corporate executive, as an independent consultant focusing on business ethics and corporate responsibility and as an adjunct professor.
She currently serves on the board of H.A.R.T and the Women’s Fund for the Community Foundation. Bruce Barry is a professor of sociology at Vanderbilt University and an authority on negotiation, ethics and workplace rights. He currently serves as editor in chief of Business Ethics Quarterly and is a member of the national board of directors of the American Civil Liberties Union. Hal Cato is CEO of Thistle Farms, the nation’s largest nonprofit social enterprise employing women survivors.
He previously served as the CEO for the Oasis Center, a nonprofit organization that works with youth, and founded the nonprofit Hands on Nashville. Michael Burcham is an entrepreneur, investor and healthcare strategist. He currently serves as an executive partner with Chicago investment firm Shore Capital and as a faculty member at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.
About Legal Aid Society Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands advocates for fairness and justice under the law. The nonprofit law firm offers free civil legal representation and educational programs to help people in its region receive justice, protect their well-being and support opportunities to overcome poverty. It serves 48 counties from offices in Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Gallatin, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge and Tullahoma. Legal Aid Society is funded in part by United Way. Learn more at www.las.org, or by following the firm on Facebook.
