Charlotte – Hendrick Automotive Group dad is #4 fundraiser in U.S. with $106K
The five exemplary Charlotte-area dads named 2011 American Diabetes Association Fathers of the Year raised more than $379,000 at the annual gala June 17 to help fight the disease – making Charlotte’s event the #2 fundraiser in the nation.
The fathers were led by dad Chris Little, director – variable operations at Hendrick Automotive Group in Charlotte, who raised $106,000. Little, Charlotte’s top Father of the Year fundraiser ever, was the #4 fundraiser in the country and will be featured in a USA Today ad later this year.
The Charlotte Metrolina Area businessmen honored were selected by the National Father’s Day Council, which awards fathers for their outstanding commitment to their children and the values of fatherhood. They were recognized at one of the city’s most prestigious events, Charlotte’s 11th Annual National Father of the Year Awards fundraiser, benefiting the American Diabetes Association. The other four 2011 honorees were:
? Peter Browning, founder and managing director of Peter Browning Associates, LLC
? Bertram L. Scott, president, U.S. Commercial Markets, CIGNA Corporation
? Michael Marsicano, president and chief executive officer, Foundation For The Carolinas
? Rick D. Puckett, executive vice president, chief financial officer, Snyder’s-Lance, Inc.
“We’re proud of Chris and the other exceptional fathers, who have so admirably balanced their personal lives with such successful careers and community service records,” said Don Canterna, SPX Corporation segment president and co-chair of the Charlotte Father’s Day Council, which has raised more than $2.6 million for diabetes research and education.
The black tie-optional gala at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte was sponsored by SPX Corporation; the Chris and Susan Kearney Foundation; Don and Cathy Canterna; WBTV (CBS); Charlotte Magazine; Piedmont Natural Gas; La Noticia; Diamonds Direct; CIGNA Corporation; PNC Mortgage, a Division of PNC Bank, NA; Fifth Third Bank; Vibrant Living magazine; and Southern Spirits.
The American Diabetes Association continues to search for a cure for diabetes, the body’s inability to produce or respond to insulin, causing high blood sugar levels that often lead to blindness, kidney failure, amputation, heart attack and stroke, according to Dianne Roth, ADA executive director, central Carolinas area. “Without the funds we raised this year from the gala, the ADA’s local outreach programs to the 165,000 people with diabetes in the Charlotte area – including nearly 25 percent who are unaware they have the disease – would be impossible.”
“All of our dads have seen the devastation that people with diabetes and their families, friends or colleagues face each day,” added co-chair Pat Higgins. “They understand how important the resources and information available from the ADA are to help diabetics lead healthier, more productive lives.”
This year’s honorees join previous Charlotte area luminary dads, including: Piedmont Natural Gas Chairman, President and Chief Executive Offficer Tom Skains; Duke Energy Carolinas’ President Brett Carter; The Wheeler Company Founder H.A. (Humpy) Wheeler; Lance-Snyder’s Chief Human Resources Officer Kevin Henry; former Family Dollar General Merchandise Manager Sam Bernstein; Technology Project Management Founder and President Stoney D. Sellars; SPX Corporation Segment President and Corporate Officer Don L. Canterna; Scott Clark’s Toyota City owner Scott L. Clark; Ruth’s Chris Steak House franchise owner Jeffrey Conway; GMAC Financial Services’ Chief Information Officer Cliff Skelton; Mecklenburg County Manager Harry L. Jones, Sr.; Wachovia Senior Vice President Thomas L. James; Minter Enterprises founder and former Carolina Panther Mike Minter; Coca-Cola Bottling Co./Charlotte Executive Vice President Henry W. Flint
Other past honorees include SPX Corporation President and CEO Christopher J. Kearney; Wall Street Capitol Founder Richard C. Siskey; Wachovia Senior Vice President John A. Tate III; K and L Gates Managing Partner Gene Pridgen; retired Bank of America Market President Executive Graham Denton; McGuireWoods Partner John Fennebresque; former Bank of America Chief Financial Officer Alvaro G. de Molina; La Noticia President Alvaro Gurdian; Mercedes of South Charlotte owner and entrepreneur Felix Sabates; former UNC Charlotte Basketball Head Coach Bobby Lutz; former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot; and Forest Hill Church Senior Pastor, author/ local radio host Dr. David Chadwick.
National Heritage Past Recipients have included some of the country’s best-known dads: the Rev. Billy Graham; President Ronald Regan; Dr. Martin Luther King Sr., Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf; former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, American Bandstand’s Dick Clark, former L.A. Dodgers Coach Tommy Lasorda, actors Kirk Douglas and Andy Garcia; National Football League great Terry Bradshaw and many others.
About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization concerned with diabetes and its complications. Founded in 1940, the association provides services in communities nationwide. The ADA’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information, call 704-373-9111 in Charlotte or visit www.diabetes.org.
About the National Father’s Day Council
Established in 1931, the National Father’s Day Council is a group of volunteers from a variety of occupations and industries who annually honor fathers whose achievements and values enhance the meaning and stature of fatherhood. The National Father’s Day Council has raised more than $21 million in 23 years to search for a cure for diabetes.
Photo caption: The American Diabetes Association’s 2011 Charlotte Fathers of the Year, left to right: Chris Little, Rick Puckett, Peter Browning, Michael Marsicano and Bert Scott
