The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Gwinnett is pleased to announce that Atlanta Brave and Gwinnett native Jeff Francoeur will be the guest speaker for the organization’s first awards ceremony and banquet, February 5, at First Baptist Church Snellville.

Hometown hero Francoeur, a record-setting right fielder for the Atlanta Braves and a 2007 Gold Glove winner, graduated from Gwinnett’s Parkview High School in 2002. At Parkview, he led his baseball and football teams to state championships while being a member and supporter of FCA.

“Jeff Francoeur is the ideal athlete to kick off our inaugural awards event,” says Bill Gifford, FCA Gwinnett Area Director. “He not only represents the strength and tradition of Gwinnett County’s high school sports programs, but he is also a sterling example of integrity, serving, teamwork and excellence which are the cornerstones of FCA’s values. Those attending this event are in for a real treat because Jeff’s testimony is quite powerful.”

Heading up plans for FCA Gwinnett’s first awards ceremony is Mark Tibbetts, president/general manager of Tibs in Suwanee. “Our goal is to turn this awards ceremony into the premier sports event that showcases the influence coaches and student athletes have with each other and with their own high school communities.”

“This will be an annual event where Gwinnett’s business leaders, church leaders, public officials, professional athletes, parents and, of course, high school coaches and student athletes come together for one night to recognize real leaders who are positively shaping the lives of others,” said Tibbetts.

At the awards ceremony, FCA Gwinnett will present several awards, including awards for the Outstanding FCA Gwinnett Male Student Athlete of the Year, the Outstanding FCA Female Student Athlete of the Year, the Outstanding FCA Gwinnett Coach of the Year, and the Outstanding FCA Gwinnett School District of the Year.

In addition, the the organization’s coveted Legacy Award will be given to a coach or student athlete, now in a professional career or retired, who has proven to show a lifetime committment to the FCA values and has been responsible for sharing those values with others.

The awards banquet is also a fundraiser for FCA Gwinnett, with a silent auction for sports memorabilia, trips and other major prizes. Individual tickets for the event are $75 and corporate sponsorships, ranging from $1000 to $25,000, are also available.

For more information on the banquet, please contact Diane Bates at 770.554.3466 or dbates@batescommunications.com.  For sponsorship details, contact Mike Leone, Strategic Health Resources, mleone@mindspring.com, 678.380-0941.