KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The 100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville, Inc. announces its 2016 Gala to be held on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn – World’s Fair Site located in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. Continuing with last year’s theme, I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER, our guest speaker will be former University of Tennessee standout and current AAU Basketball Coach Bobby Cornell Maze. Maze is a Director of BMAZE Elite AAU Basketball Club. He is also vice president of Athletic Relations of Athletic Standard. He played AAU basketball for DC Blue Devils with Ty Lawson, Jerome Dyson, and Kevin Durant and played his college career at University of Tennessee, leading them to the elite eight.
Mr. Maze will share his previous collegiate experiences detailing his successes both on and off the basketball floor. Further, referencing the gun violence which continues to plague our community, Brother Maze will offer words of encouragement for our youth and the community at large.
The entire evening will be in dedication to The 100 Black Men’s recently dearly departed young brother, Zaevion Dobson, a Fulton High School sophomore who died in 2015 while protecting friends from gunfire. His heroism has been acknowledged worldwide, including praise from President Barack Obama.
Gala tickets are $60.00 per person and are readily available through the officers of 100 Black Men’s officers, Eston Williams, Rick Staples, Charles Brown, and Brandon McGill. Event proceeds support the primary focus of 100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville Inc. which is to prepare young people who may be at risk for the future by assisting in the enhancement of their academic skills and by increasing their educational opportunities. The programs that directly address this focus are Mentoring, Scholarship, Education, and Health & Wellness.
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About the 100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville, Inc.
The 100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville, Inc., is an affiliated chapter of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and is a non-profit corporation recognized under Internal Revenue Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Founded in 1963, the focus of the 100 Black Men organization is on the advancement of African-American youth and community and developing the leaders of tomorrow. Since its inception, the 100 Black Men, through its affiliated chapters, has mentored and directly impacted the lives of more than 120,000 youth.
The 100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville, Inc., (Knoxville 100) was chartered in 1994 and incorporated in 1995 by men from the community who were concerned about and committed to improving the lives of youth in general and African-American young men in particular. As an affiliate of the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and consistent with its objectives, the Knoxville 100 focuses its efforts and energies on improving the lives of youth, primarily African American young men, but not exclusively. We pursue a four-part agenda or strategy: (1) Mentoring, (2) Health & Wellness, (3) Education, and (4) Economic Development.
The Knoxville 100 is governed by a Board of Directors which consists of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and heads of Standing Committees. At present, the organization does not have any paid staff. Funds for programs and activities are derived from membership dues, charitable contributions and any revenue from an annual fund raising gala and other activities consistent with the purpose of the organization. Our mission is to serve as a catalyst to empower African Americans to individually and collectively reach their full potential through maximizing their resources that foster and enhance achievement in education and community and economic empowerment.
