2020 Gala

Ron Childers

A native Memphian and second generation Mexican-American, Ron's broadcasting career began in Memphis radio he is now the Chief Meteorologist for WMC Action News 5 in Memphis. He has been honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with an Emmy win and multiple nominations.

Joyce Peterson

A second-generation TV journalist, Joyce Peterson is an anchor/reporter at WMC Action News 5 in Memphis.  She has reported the news in the Mid-South for more than 25 years. She's also married to your favorite weather guy, WMC Chief Meteorologist Ron Childers.

Rascal Flatts

Hailed as one of the most influential groups in modern country history, Rascal Flatts are a chart-topping trio created by vocalist Gary LeVox, multi-instrumentalist Jay DeMarcus and guitarist Joe Don Rooney. They’ve racked up 17 Number One hits, over 23.4 million albums sold, 35 million digital downloads, 2.2 billion streams worldwide and 4.4 billion streams solely on Pandora, while also selling over 11 million concert tickets and earning more than 40 trophies from the ACA, ACM, AMA, CMA, People’s Choice and more, making them the most awarded country group of the past decade. The trio released a new single entitled "How They Remember You" in June 2020. This song will appear on an EP of the same name due out on July 31. For more information visit rascalflatts.com.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Having left the basketball court for the boardroom, Earvin “Magic” Johnson has successfully parlayed his skills and tenacity from the court into the business world as Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises. Still a commanding presence in popular culture, Johnson is a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame and a five-time NBA champion. He made history again in 2012 when he became co-owner of MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers.

Camille Schrier – Miss America 2020

Crowned Miss America 2020, Camille serves as a spokesperson for children’s hospitals nationwide. She was studying biochemistry and biology at Virginia Tech prior to winning the title. After her year of service, she will complete her degree with scholarship monies won from the Miss America Pageant.

Denny Hamlin

Driver of the FedEx No. 11 car, Denny is a bona fide superstar in the NASCAR Cup Series. Hailing from Chesterfield, Virginia, he has had 41 Cup Series Wins and qualified for the NASCAR playoffs 14 times. 2020 marks his 15th full season driving the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry.

Gina Neely

As a top rated television personality and best-selling author, Gina has performed live for thousands of fans all over the country, not only showcasing her skills and fun loving approach to cooking, but also sharing her perspectives on life, love, and the issues facing women in their personal and professional lives. Gina is a powerful and inspiring speaker who strives to meet the needs of those she encounters, empowering them to persevere and navigate through life.

Gina has appeared on and/or co-hosted dozens of international, national and local television and radio shows, including Good Morning America, the TODAY show, The Talk, The Steve Harvey Show, The View, The Queen Latifah Show and Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and Dr. Oz which makes her no stranger to Daytime Television but quite the novice as she engages and motivates audiences everywhere.  In print, Gina has been featured in multiple national publications including People Magazine, O Magazine, Ebony, Essence, The Wall Street Journal, Black Enterprise, USA Today and Food Network Magazine.  

Joe Gibbs

A Pro Football Hall of Fame coach with three NFL Super Bowl Championships, Joe is owner of Joe Gibbs Racing which has won five NASCAR Cup Series Championships. He is a New York Times Best Selling Author for his book, Game Plan for Life.

Ja Morant

Selected by the Memphis Grizzlies as the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Ja is quickly becoming a Grizzlies superstar as a point guard. He is a proud father of Kaari, former patient at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

Taylor Jenkins

Taylor is completing his first season as head coach of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and has the team on the cusp of a return to the playoffs. Jenkins was named the Western Conference's Coach of the Month in January 2020 after leading the Grizzlies to a 11–4 record during the month. He studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor's of Science in Economics.

Jason Wexler

Jason Wexler is the President of Basketball Operations of the Memphis Grizzlies. He has been with the Grizzlies since 2013.

Penny Hardaway

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, a two-time All-American and a four-time NBA All-Star during his playing days, returned to his alma mater in the spring of 2018.

Hardaway was introduced as University of Memphis men's basketball coach during a March 20, 2018 press conference at the Laurie-Walton Family Basketball Center on the Park Avenue Campus. Hardaway became the school's 19th coach and the third former Tiger player in the modern era (since WWII) to lead the program, following Wayne Yates (1974-79) and Larry Finch (1986-97).

In his second season (2019-20), Hardaway directed the Tigers to a 21-10 record that included wins over two nationally ranked teams: No. 19 Tennessee at sold-out Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville and No. 22 Houston at FedExForum.

He also helped freshman forward Precious Achiuwa develop into the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, the program's first POY since joining the AAC in 2013. Achiuwa also earned Freshman of the Year honors to become the first Tiger to sweep both awards since Keith Lee in 1982.