September 8, 2004

Contact: Fred Jones
Summitt Management Corp.
901-398-6655

Southern Heritage Foundation Honors Four

Giving back to the community where it’s needed

MEMPHIS – The Southern Heritage Foundation, the charitable giving arm of the Southern Heritage Classic presented by FedEx, is distributing $20,000 in grants to four area organizations.

At an invitation-only dinner on September 15, the foundation will award $5,000 each to:

Senior Services
LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center
Diggs-Krause Sickle Cell Clinic (Med Foundation)
Homeless Children and Youth Program of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools
The event, billed as “A Community Service Celebration,” will start at 7 p.m. in the Memphis Marriott Downtown.

“When I first had the idea of developing the Southern Heritage Classic, the thought of giving back to the community was one of the top things I wanted to accomplish,” said Fred Jones, founder and producer of the Classic. “With the success of the event over the years, we’ve been able to impact others so that they could get a helping hand in life. It’s very important to me personally, as well as being a vital part of the Classic experience for the community and for our corporate partners.”

In the past, the Southern Heritage Foundation has honored organizations as diverse as the Food Bank, Hope House Daycare Center, Women’s Oasis of Memphis, the Child Advocacy Center, Mid-South Junior Golf Association, Alzheimer Adult Day Services and many more.

In addition, the foundation made a one-time grant of $40,000 to W. Alonzo Locke Elementary School, which Jones attended.

The board of the Southern Heritage Foundation consists of Jones, Melvin Burgess Sr., William Jones, Clyde A. Allen and Louise Johnson Holman.