VALDOSTA —
Georgia Christian School is preparing to greet former First Lady Laura Bush to town this week as the featured speaker for the school’s 2012 Benefit Dinner at Valdosta State University.
Tickets sold out for the Thursday, Oct. 25, event shortly after the school announced the event in May.
A few years ago, Georgia Christian School began the annual dinner to benefit the school by inviting well-known sports figures. For the 2011 dinner, Georgia Christian Headmaster Brad Lawson, school representative Ryan Warren and others changed the format by inviting former GOP presidential candidate, Arkansas governor and Fox News personality Mike Huckabee.
Selling out the Huckabee dinner, Georgia Christian looked to top the 2011 dinner. School officials were able to book Laura Bush but not at first.
Representatives initially declined the school’s invitation. Looking for a speaker and coming upon a deadline, Georgia Christian tried Laura Bush a second time. Given her love of education, she accepted the second offer.
In scheduling a First Lady, there are many security concerns. She is still protected by Secret Service. Anyone coming into contact with the First Lady must be vetted. For Huckabee’s appearance, people could purchase available tickets within a few days of the benefit dinner. With Laura Bush’s appearance, the school had to submit a guest list weeks in advance.
Laura Bush is not the first First Lady to visit Valdosta. Decades ago, Eleanor Roosevelt spoke at what would become Valdosta State University. Lady Bird Johnson made a Valdosta stop on a train tour. Hillary Clinton visited Valdosta with her husband Bill Clinton during his 1992 presidential campaign. Of course, former presidential First Lady and Georgia First Lady Rosalynn Carter has visited Valdosta on more than one occasion.
“One of the most beloved and admired First Ladies,” Laura Bush was born in Midland, Texas, the daughter of Jenna and Harold Welch. With a degree in public education and a master’s degree in library science, she taught in Dallas, Houston and Austin public schools and worked as a public school librarian. She married George W. Bush in 1977.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Former First Lady Laura Bush will speak Thursday in Valdosta. Contributed photo
Discussion
Laura Bush visits this week
- Local News
-
-
Valdosta High graduation
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield, is the motto of Valdosta High School and a phrase that will stick with its senior class for the rest of their lives.
-
Coleman named Crossing Guard of the Year
For keeping the community’s children safe between homes and homerooms, crossing guards received thanks from city officials and one was named Crossing Guard of the Year during a breakfast Friday morning at Greenleaf.
-
Memorial Day events planned
Memorial Day is held each year on the final Monday of May, with this year’s observances on Monday, May 27. Across the country, Americans will honor fallen service men and women, and Lowndes County residents will have many activities available to them as they observe Memorial Day.
-
VDT Weekend Update
News Reporter Caitlin Barker speaks to Bernard Bulemu and Eric Mathis, representatives from the South Georgia Regional Library about their summer programs for kids, teens and adults during the month of June, as well as lists fun summer camps taking place in the Valdosta area.
-
Troopers prepare for Memorial Day traffic
Georgia State troopers are preparing for patrols during the peak travel times this coming holiday weekend.
-
Blaze damages cars, blocks I-75
A tractor-trailer transporting automobiles northbound on Interstate 75 Thursday morning caught fire just north of exit 5 in Lake Park.
-
VECA recognized at VSU
Rising juniors from the Valdosta Early College Academy (VECA) were recognized at Valdosta State University Wednesday night as the first group of students to begin earning college credit while still in high school.
-
Businesses raise funds for Oklahoma disaster
By now, we’ve all heard about the tragedy in Moore, Okla., a mile-wide, F5 tornado with winds of more than 200 miles per hour carved through 17 miles over a span of 50 minutes on Monday afternoon.
-
Southwestern State Hospital to close
One of Thomas County’s largest employers — at more than 700 people — and a longtime regional state mental hospital will close Dec. 31.
-
Search for survivors continues
Helmeted rescue workers raced Tuesday to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of nine children.
- More Local News Headlines
-
