The inaugural Community Champion Awards will be presented by Christian City on Thursday, September 19, 2019, at the Georgia Aquarium. Under the leadership of co-chairs, Ron Canakaris and Miguel Southwell, Christian City is honoring individuals and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment toward the betterment of the greater Atlanta community.

The Community Champion Awards dinner will pay tribute to three special and deserving recipients in three categories: Stephanie Blank in the Individual category, Westside Future Fund in the Nonprofit category and Delta Air Lines in the Corporate category. Renowned broadcast journalist Monica Pearson will serve as emcee.

Stephanie Blank has made countless contributions to the community through her many years of service with United Way, Georgia State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students.

Westside Future Fund has made great strides in the revitalization of the Westside community, specifically Vine City, Ashview Heights, English Avenue and the AUC neighborhoods. With the help of Westside Future Fund, these neighborhoods have seen a significant reduction in crime and an increase in community wages.

Delta Air Lines has committed over 50 years of engagement and generous giving of time and service to the Atlanta community and beyond. Delta Air Lines also began a relationship with Christian City in 1972 by building a children’s cottage that housed teenage boys in need of a loving home.

Christian City is pleased to have support from The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, BMW of South Atlanta and Delta Air Lines as Gold Sponsors for the awards. Proceeds from the 2019 Community Champion Awards will focus on Christian City’s Safe Place program for runaway and homeless youth in greater Atlanta who are at risk of falling prey to sex traffickers. BJay Pak, US Attorney for North Georgia will speak about the state of sex trafficking in Georgia.

“We are very grateful for the examples the 2019 honorees have set for all of us,” said CEO of Christian City Keith Horton. “Our hope is to inspire others in our community to step up and support the community, including key programs like Safe Place that have a significant impact on the youth in our city.”

A limited number of tickets and sponsorships are available at https://christiancity.org/community-champion-sponsorships/.