Sen. Tim Scott to Speak at 10th Annual ACE Awards

April 25, 2017

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott will be the keynote speaker for the 10th annual ACE (Advocates for Character and Education) Awards, honoring 70 young unsung heroes from Greenville County Schools.

“We’re honoring kids who have overcome personal struggles and sometimes personal tragedies,” said Greg Blatt, executive director of Coaches 4 Character, which sponsors the awards.

“They’ve overcome the odds and achieved amazing things in their schools, churches, homes and communities,” he said.

The annual ACE Awards banquet takes place at 7 p.m. May 12, at Redemption Church in Greenville. Tickets are $5 for adults and free to students in 12th grade and under.

As someone who faced challenges growing up in a working-class family, Scott, a Republican from Charleston, is the perfect speaker for the ACE awards, Blatt said.

“His personal story is all about overcoming odds and achieving,” Blatt said. “His personal story offers a phenomenal connection with these deserving students. We’re honored that he accepted our invitation to speak.”

One boy and one girl from each of Greenville County’s 35 middle and high schools will be presented an ACE Award.
Winners will receive a medallion, commemorative program/video and a gift package.

Thanks to recent donations, six 12th-grade students also will receive $2,500 college scholarships.

Two students will be able to donate $500 each from Coaches 4 Character to the students’ favorite charity.

“What an incredible honor to participate in an event designed to celebrate young leaders across the Upstate,” Scott said in a statement. “Whether it was in their church, school or home, these inspiring students have risen to the challenge, left a lasting impression, and have set the example for their peers to follow."

Extensive process

The ACE Award-winning students, in eighth or 12 grades, are selected after extensive consideration, Blatt said.

“There’s a nine-month nomination and selection process,” Blatt said. They are chosen based on "character, community service and academic effort.”

Coaches 4 Character particularly seeks to applaud students who work outside the spotlight and have not been honored in the past.

“It’s all about unsung heroes,” Blatt said. “It’s what makes this program special. I think that’s really why the community has gotten behind this program. We work hard to find these unsung heroes and make them feel appreciated.”

The ACE Awards are a partnership of The Greenville News, WYFF 4, Greenville County Schools, iHeartMEDIA and the Greenville Health System.

Beginning today, The News will be running profiles on each of the ACE winners leading up to the event.
“We owe a huge thank-you to our caring and generous partners,” Blatt said. “Without their generosity and their giving spirit, we wouldn’t be able to honor these deserving kids.”

Coaches 4 Character hosts speakers throughout the year to provide a motivational message to students, but the annual ACE Awards is the group’s signature event.

Paul Hyde covers education and everything else under the South Carolina sun. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @PaulHyde7.

By: Paul Hyde -- Greenville Online

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