The mission of A Night to Remember is to unite individuals, groups, organizations and other resources to facilitate the educational experiences and cultural enrichment for local students, through local organizations who share the same mission and vision.
In 1985, Chattanooga business owner and TVA manager Gerald Mason spearheaded a grass roots effort to raise scholarship money for inner-city youth through a Black college football classic. The TVA-sponsored event was a success.
Encouraged, Mason worked with Reuben Lawrence of Beasley Distributing, and Victor Julian, then a vice president at Anheuser Busch, to develop a local gala head-lined by premiere musical acts. The first Chattanooga A Night to Remember in 1988 – featuring Nancy Wilson, Billy Paul and Ramsey Lewis – was a smash. A tradition of superior entertainment in support of Chattanooga’s youth was born.
Over 25 years later, over $4 million has been raised and distributed to local agencies such A Better Tomorrow, Ballet Tennessee, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Boys Leadership Summit, Boy Scouts of America, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, Coalition of 100 Black Women of Chattanooga, Friends of Howard School, Girls Inc, Kappa Foundation of Chattanooga, NAACP-ACTSO, Reach One Youth Foundation, Urban Baseball Fund, 100 Black Men of Chattanooga . The organization has grown to include numerous business and community leaders, supported by local corporations, loyal minority businesses and a core group of volunteers. Featured muscial entertainers have included Jeffrey Osbourne, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and many other top performers.
“A sense of community and a desire to invest in our future unites us all,” said current A Night to Remember Board Chairman Irvin Overton, a retired executive vice president of Erlanger Health System.
“Helping with the event is a delight because you know what the end result is – making Chattanooga a better place,” said Lawrence.
