The 2008 HRC Nashville Dinner committee will honor Nashville attorney Sam Felker and NewsChannel 5 during the event themed “One Nashville. One Nation."
The dinner will take place at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel on Sat., Feb. 16. A silent auction will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the dinner ceremony to follow. This year's HRC Nashville Dinner co-chairs are Amos Gott, Jeremy Davis and Margaret Ellis.
“This will be the best year yet," said first-year dinner co-chair Davis. “Bridgestone’s continued support as presenting sponsor has enabled us to move forward in confidence that our fund raising goals will not only be met but also greatly exceeded."
The 2008 honorees were chosen because each have played important roles in Nashville’s quest for GLBT equality.
Sam Felker, a senior partner at Bass, Berry & Sims law firm, has been on the front lines of GLBT activism for many years. Felker was a key player in the founding of what is now the Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce. He has served in leadership positions with Nashville Cares, Artrageous and the Nashville HRC Federal Club. Felker has also worked with the ACLU of Tennessee to fight for the rights of GLBT families and was the leader of the Nashville delegation to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.
The NewsChannel 5 Network was a trial blazer as the first commercial station in the country to launch a show specifically produced to serve the GLBT community. NewsChannel 5’s production of Out & About Today stirred controversy among some of its viewers and advertisers. However, NewsChannel 5 did not pull the show, and Out and About Today continues to serve as a vital information source for the Nashville-area GLBT community. NewsChannel 5 has also been a leader in creating a pro-GLBT corporate environment. They offer health benefits for same-sex couples and include GLBT issues in their diversity initiatives.
“The dinner plans to have a national and local focus, awarding Nashville honorees as well as engaging the city's dignitaries and celebrities to demonstrate that the national issues are also Nashville issues," said dinner co-chair Gott.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.hrc.org/your_community/8263.htm.
