19th Annual Patron Dinner

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013
The Foundry, Puritan Mill

We're very excited to be returning to The Foundry for our 19th Annual Patron Dinner, on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event, check out the sponsorship opportunities here, email Development Director Becca Klein at bklein@chattahoochee.org or call her at (404) 352-9828.

Our 2013 honorees:

River Guardian Award: Cox Enterprises
River Sustainability Award: UPS
River Hero Award: Jerry McCollum (retired, Georgia Wildlife Federation)
River Awareness Award: Fran Burst (Burst Video/Film) and Brandon Danowski (Beast)

Stay tuned for more information on our 2013 event.

Thanks to the incredible support of our sponsors, we raised $235,000 and welcomed 450 guests to 18th Annual Patron Dinner on Sept. 13, 2012!

Former WSB-TV news anchor John Pruitt served as the master of ceremonies for the evening. Guests enjoyed a reception followed by a sit-down dinner with food from Dennis Dean Catering, a live and silent auction, and live music from Collective Soul co-founder Ed Roland's latest endeavor: Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project!

Here is a look at the 2012 honorees:

Bert Ellis (pictured, middle), an active entrepreneur in the media and technology industries, received our prestigious River Guardian Award for providing critical communications strategies for more than a decade to guide our river protection programs.

Newnan resident Warren Budd will receive our River Steward Award for his steadfast support for Georgia’s rivers while serving on the state Board of Natural Resources.

TOTO USA, the world’s largest plumbing manufacturer, received our River Sustainability Award for its bottom-line commitment to the efficient use of our limited water supplies.

April Ingle, director of Georgia River Network, received our River Advocate Award for her passion and leadership as an organizer of Paddle Georgia, galvanizing thousands of people to love rivers and work to protect them.


John Pruitt
While he stepped down as anchor in December 2010, Mr. Pruitt remains active on special programs and investigations for Channel 2. Some of the major stories John has covered include Jimmy Carter's gubernatorial and presidential campaigns, the civil rights movement, the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the first flight of Lockheed's C5 Galaxy, the 1968 kidnapping of heiress Barbara Jane Mackle, the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, the 1989 San Francisco Bay-area earthquake, the presidential inaugurations of Presidents Carter and Clinton, 11 Democratic and Republican conventions, and the aftermath of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center.

Ed Roland
Guests also enjoyed live music from the Collective Soul frontman's latest endeavor: Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project! Over his two-decade career, Roland has written seven No. 1 radio hits and dozens of other favorite tunes, and has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

With the Sweet Tea Project, Roland has teamed up with a group of friends and musicians for a new approach to his classic hit-making style. Featuring an eclectic collection of songs that range from the hard-driving to heart-touching, with one common thread: Ed Roland.