Annual Ladies for Purple Scholars Luncheon

10020 Chef Menteur Highway,New Orleans LA 70127

23 April, 2022

Description

Join us for the Annual Ladies for Purple Scholars Luncheon benefiting scholarships and financial aid at St. Augustine High School. The Ladies for Purple Scholars Annual Scholarship Luncheon provides recognition to our class of scholarship recipients. This year we are honored to feature our keynote speaker the Honorable Benedict J. Willard, a St. Augustine graduate of the class of 1982. Each year the Ladies for Purple Scholars welcomes the community to join us in recoginition of our scholars while raising funds to support students and programs at St. Augustine High School. We invite recipients as well as their friends, coaches, and family to join. General Admission: $60 per person. Table and Event Sponsors: Sponsorship packages include complimentary event tickets. $5000 Title Sponsor – Recognition on all advertising, signage. Reserved seating for two at Special Guests’ Table. Reserved table of ten for sponsor's guests. Speaking opportunity at luncheon. $2500 Major Sponsor – Reserved seating at Special Guests’ table, reserved table of ten for sponsor’s guests, additional signage, company handouts distributed. $800 Table Sponsor -- Reserved table for ten, signage. $500 Table Sponsor – Reserve seating for six, signage. $150 Program Sponsor – Reserve seating for two, listed on the program. About Judge Benedict J. Willard: Ben Willard is a native New Orleanian and is the last of the six boys born to Dr. and Mrs. Elliot C. Willard to graduate from St. Augustine High School. He was a member of the 1979 State Champion Purple Knight Football Team. Ben received a Bachelor of Science from Xavier University and a Juris Doctorate from the Southern University Law Center. During law school, he served as Vice President of the Student Bar, a member of the Moot Court Board, and as a student practitioner with the Law Clinic. He is currently an adjunct professor at Southern’s Law Center. In order to cover living expenses, he enlisted in the Army Reserves and is an Honor graduate of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. After receiving an Honorable Discharge, Judge Willard returned to the Army as an Officer with the JAG Corps, later achieving the rank of Major and ultimately retiring in 2017. After a 10 year career as a prosecutor, defense attorney, Louisiana State Supreme Court law clerk, and Court Administrator, he was elected Judge of Criminal District Court Section C. Judge Willard was re-elected in 2008, 2014, and 2020 without opposition. From 2014-2016 he held the title of Chief Judge for Criminal Court. Currently, he is the longest-serving Drug Court Jurist in New Orleans. Ben has served as President of the Louis A. Martinet Society, Bacillus of the Rho Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, Member of the A.P. Tureaud Civil Right Memorial Committee, Commissioner of the N.O. Human Relations Committee, and an Olympic Torchbearer. As a proud 1982 St. Augustine High School graduate, support of the school and its students are always at the forefront of Ben’s actions. Ben tirelessly gives of himself in an effort to continue all that St. Aug stands for. He hosts students at court whenever possible to encourage legal careers and moreover to discourage any activity that would lead to entering the legal system otherwise. He is the 2016 recipient of the Father Charles Hall Alumni Award and delivered the graduate address at the 2018 Commencement ceremony. Ben and Diane Dunn-Willard are the proud parents of Purple Knights Joshua (2014) and Jonathan (2016). All sales are final, ticket purchases are nonrefundable.