Shannon to be Honored by Orange Bowl Committee
April 27, 2009
MIAMI – – University of Miami head football coach Randy Shannon will be awarded the Orange Bowl Keith Tribble Trailblazer Award at the Orange Bowl Committee’s 7th annual Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida Field of Dreams Scholarship Benefit on Friday May 8, 2009 at the Broward County Convention Center. The reception is slated to start at 7 p.m., with the dinner program 8 p.m.
“The Orange Bowl Committee is dedicated to giving back to the community especially as it pertains to youth academic and athletic programs,” says Lynn Washington, co-chair of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida Orange Bowl Field of Dreams Committee. “We invite the public to join us as we celebrate America’s future leaders, and continue the OBC’s legacy of 75 years of making our community better.”
The Orange Bowl Keith Tribble Trailblazer Award honors an individual who has made a significant impact in South Florida. The award is annually presented to an innovator, pioneer and groundbreaker, a person who has helped open doors, blazed trails and prepared a way for others to have better lives.
Shannon was named head football coach of the University of Miami on December 8, 2006. A native of Miami, Shannon, played at Norland High School before moving on to the University of Miami where he was a four-year letterman and starting outside linebacker on the 1987 national championship team. After graduation, he played for the Dallas Cowboys before moving into coaching first at the university before joining the Dolphins staff. He returned to UM as defensive coordinator for six years, coaching top 10 defenses in five of those six seasons before being named the 20th head coach in school history. Shannon, 43, played on or was a coach for three of the school’s five national championship teams. He is one of only seven African American head coaches from among the 119 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1-A) and the only one from a BCS automatic qualifying conference.
Other recognitions include Barrington Irving, the youngest and first black person to pilot a plane around the world solo, Christopher L. Smith Florida State Senator District 29 and founder of The Chris Smith All-star Football Classic and Clarence Anthony former Mayor of South Bay and is presently the Chief Marketing Officer and Presiding Director of the Board of Directors for Post Buckley Schuh & Jernigan, Inc, will be honored for their tireless work and contributions to the South Florida community.
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
The benefit will also include a special performance by two-time Grammy-nominated, soul songstress Chrisette Michelle. Chrisette Michele has had an “Epiphany” with her Ne-Yo penned single. Aptly titled “Epiphany” Michele’s highly anticipated sophomore album follows her 2007 certified gold album I AM. This beautiful 23 year old is a singer songwriter and composer who is signed to Def Jam Record by Antonio “L.A.” Reid who told her he had “goose bumps” after the first time he heard her. “When Chrisette Michele enters a room,” said Mr. Reid, “the room becomes a better place.”
The Field of Dreams Scholarship Benefit is an annual Orange Bowl Committee event with a purpose of providing college scholarship funding for deserving high school seniors. The program has awarded individual scholarships, and contributed over $300,000 for African-American scholarships to organizations such as the Tom Joyner Foundation, The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, Florida Memorial University’s Athletic Scholarship Fund and the UNCF.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets please contact (305) 341-4701. All media inquiries should be directed towards Circle of One Marketing at (305) 576-3790.
