Valdosta, GA- The Valdosta North Rotary Club is proud to announce the inaugural Teacher of the Year Banquet with guest speaker Ron Clark, founder of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia and two-time New York Times bestselling author. The event will be held on October 29, 2013, at the Valdosta State University Union Ballroom.

The purpose of this event is simple: to celebrate, honor, and support our public school educators in the Lowndes County and Valdosta City School Systems. Specifically, the Valdosta North Rotary Club will be honoring the Teacher of the Year for both the Lowndes County and Valdosta City school systems, as well as the Teacher of the Year nominees.

Ron Clark our guest speaker will present an inspirational message on the value and importance of our treasured educators. Mr. Clark, known to many as “America’s Educator,” is the 2000 Disney American Teacher of the Year and was lauded by Oprah Winfrey as her first “Phenomenal Man.” The Ron Clark Academy is a SASC/CASI accredited, highly acclaimed, nonprofit middle school in Southeast Atlanta that promotes innovation and engages its students through energetic teaching, balanced by a strict code of discipline. The academy, founded in 2007, has been the subject of much national and international fanfare, regularly attracting educators from around the world seeking to replicate Mr. Clark’s innovative and successful methods for raising test scores.

“The challenges teachers face in education grow larger and more complex each year  and the Valdosta North Rotary wanted to find a way to give back to our educators in Valdosta and Lowndes County for the dedication they have made to educating our children,” said Travis Pate, incoming President of Valdosta North Rotary. “This banquet gives us the opportunity to express our appreciation and provides a resource for them to be motivated and encouraged by a distinguished and renowned contributor to the education profession.”

Various sponsorships opportunities and tickets are available. Visit www.totybanquet2013.eventbrite.com; or call (229) 241-9444. All net proceeds raised by the banquet will be donated to the school systems on a 50/50 basis to help fund specific projects designated by the respective systems.