[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/drew-brees-to-speak-at-faulkners-2023-benefit-dinner\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/drew-brees-to-speak-at-faulkners-2023-benefit-dinner\/","headline":"Drew Brees to Speak at Faulkner\u2019s 2023 Benefit Dinner<\/strong>","name":"Drew Brees to Speak at Faulkner\u2019s 2023 Benefit Dinner<\/strong>","description":"Faulkner University President Mitch Henry announces Drew Brees as the university’s 2023 Benefit Dinner speaker as two members of the Faulkner Cheer team unveil the promotional billboard with the university’s Eagle mascot, Royal and SGA officer Destini Gibson on the…","datePublished":"2023-04-27","dateModified":"2023-07-19","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/#Person","name":"Rebecca Burylo","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Faulkner University","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","width":480,"height":128}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/BD_Reveal_2023_11-resize-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/BD_Reveal_2023_11-resize-scaled.jpg","height":1707,"width":2560},"url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/drew-brees-to-speak-at-faulkners-2023-benefit-dinner\/","about":["Community","Highlights","News"],"wordCount":637,"articleBody":"Faulkner University President Mitch Henry announces Drew Brees as the university’s 2023 Benefit Dinner speaker as two members of the Faulkner Cheer team unveil the promotional billboard with the university’s Eagle mascot, Royal and SGA officer Destini Gibson on the right.Faulkner University announced Drew Brees would be the speaker at Faulkner\u2019s 2023 Benefit Dinner during a press conference held Thursday, April 27, 2023. Faulkner President Mitch Henry revealed the news on Faulkner\u2019s Montgomery campus.Faulkner University\u2019s annual benefit dinner is a longstanding tradition and a red-letter-event on the social calendar for Montgomery and the River Region. Each year, Faulkner brings nationally known speakers to Montgomery who will appeal to a broad local audience. In years past, the university have invited U.S. Presidents, International Heads of State, politicians, athletes, coaches, astronauts, and journalists to speak, and we\u2019re thrilled to announce this year\u2019s Benefit Dinner speaker.Faulkner University President Mitch Henry announces Drew Brees as the university’s 2023 Benefit Dinner speaker with the university’s Eagle mascot, Royal on the right and a member of the cheer team on the left.\u201cOvercoming adversity takes resilience.\u00a0On Thursday, October 5, 2023, Faulkner University\u2019s Benefit Dinner will celebrate those who have overcome adversity with a speaker who has done so for decades,\u201d\u00a0said Faulkner President Mitch Henry.\u00a0\u201cHe has overcome career ending injuries, fought through pain and naysayers to compete on the highest level. He is the 2009 professional football championship game MVP- winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, an overcomer, a believer, and a leader in helping those in need. This year\u2019s Benefit Dinner speaker is Drew Brees.\u201dHe was named the National Football League’s 2004 Comeback Player of the Year. After lettering in football from 1997-2000 while he studied industrial management at Purdue University, Brees went on to play five years with the San Diego Chargers and fifteen years with the New Orleans Saints. He has been elected to 13 professional bowl games while being named 2006 All-Pro Team, 2006 Walter Payton Man of the Year, 2008 and 2011 Offensive Player of the Year, and Professional Football Championship game XLIV Champion and MVP.Faulkner University President Mitch Henry announces Drew Brees as the university’s 2023 Benefit Dinner speaker with the university’s Eagle mascot, Royal and SGA officer Destini Gibson on the right and a member of the cheer team on the left. \u201cI\u2019m not aware of another quarterback whose faith has overcome more adversity, led to more success, and impacted others more positively than Drew Brees,\u201d\u00a0Henry said. \u201cDrew and his wife, Brittany, established the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003, and since then, have contributed over $50,000,000 to help improve the quality of life for cancer patients and provide care, education, and opportunities for children and families in need.\u201dIn addition to his personal foundation, Brees has co-founded SHIELD 1 Foundation to address the greatest needs in our communities including but not limited to housing, healthcare, education, business opportunity, economic development, support of HBCUs, social justice and legislative reform. What he and his wife did to help the people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina still impacts lives today.Brees is a patriot and has also proudly participated in five USO trips visiting Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Turkey, Djibouti, Dubai, Okinawa, and Guantanamo Bay. Drew currently lives with his wife Brittany and children Baylen, Bowen, Callen and Rylen in San Diego, California.We invite you all to come hear Drew speak on October 5 at the Renaissance Convention Center in downtown Montgomery. It will be a special event with all proceeds going toward student scholarships.Tickets are on sale now by calling 334-386-7257 or by visiting Faulkner.edu\/brees.Members of the Faulkner University Cheer team pose with mascot Royal.Members of the Faulkner University Cheer team pose with mascot Royal and President Mitch Henry."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Drew Brees to Speak at Faulkner\u2019s 2023 Benefit Dinner<\/strong>","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/drew-brees-to-speak-at-faulkners-2023-benefit-dinner\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]