Faulkner University honored 100 individuals in healthcare during its annual Benefit Dinner on Oct. 2, 2025. The sold-out event, held at the Renaissance Convention Center in downtown Montgomery, drew more than 2,000 guests and featured award-winning actress Candace Cameron Bure as keynote speaker.
Before Bure, best known for her role as D.J. Tanner on the television series “Full House,” took the stage, healthcare workers from across the region were recognized for their service. Men and women representing multiple roles in the field of healthcare were invited on stage, where they were applauded for their sacrifice and commitment to patient care.
“You as healthcare professionals are worthy of honor,” Faulkner University President Mitch Henry said. “You have answered the call to help and go out of your way, even if it means putting yourself at risk, to help others.”
Henry recounted the story of Dr. L.L. Hill, an Alabama physician who performed one of the first open-heart surgeries in the country 123 years ago by lantern light. Called upon in the middle of the night, Hill successfully operated on a young African American man who had been shot in the heart, saving his life.
“His actions made a wave of change in the nation and in the field of medicine, which in turn has saved thousands of lives,” Henry said. “When we answer the call, we find out what we’re made of. If we have the spirit of Dr. Hill, we can make a ripple for good. Those we are honoring today have answered that call.”
Faulkner is also answering the call to address healthcare shortages in Alabama. This fall, the university launched its first nursing program within the College of Health Sciences. The Faulkner University Center for Therapy and Research has already performed more than 43,000 free clinic visits, offering services in speech, physical and occupational therapy as well as autism treatment.
The university’s commitment to service extends beyond healthcare. Faulkner Law’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law has reported nearly a 20 percent year-over-year increase in enrollment as the school welcomed its largest incoming class in nearly a century. University-wide enrollment reached 3,569 students this fall, with graduate online programs and health sciences leading the growth.
Henry also announced the public launch of the university’s most ambitious financial campaign, “Where Faith Shapes Futures Capital Campaign,” with a goal of raising $53.7 million. More than 73 percent has already been secured. Funds will support the construction of the Academic Resource Center, designed to enhance academic excellence, create spaces for community and spiritual formation, and expand health sciences programs.
Bure expressed her gratitude for healthcare workers and praised Faulkner’s role in Christian healthcare education. She credited her faith in Jesus Christ as the foundation of her career and personal life, sharing how it has guided her from her days as a child star to her role as a wife and a mother and her current work as an actress, producer, author, and entrepreneur.
“I am very outspoken about my faith,” Bure said. “Making movies, doing a podcast, making shows; those are fun, but they are not my purpose. My purpose is to share the Gospel.”
In addition to her acting career, Bure is CEO of CandyRock Entertainment and Chief Creative Officer for Great American Media. She has starred in multiple holiday romantic comedies and mysteries, including the recent Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Yarn Maker on Great American Family. She has received the Grace Award for TV and the Best Family Television Award at the Movieguide Awards.
