Titans name 2008 Community QB Award Winner

Three Additional Finalists were recognized as Tennessee's Top Volunteers
 
NASHVILLE, TN – January 23, 2009 -- The Tennessee Titans recognized Wayne Howell of Franklin, Tenn. as their 2008 Titans Community Quarterback Award Winner during a special volunteer recognition luncheon hosted by the Titans at LP Field West Club on Friday.  Howell earned a $10,000 grant from Titans owner K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr. and the Tennessee Titans Foundation for his non-profit organization, Franktown Open Hearts in Franklin.  A Total of $20,000 in grant money from the Titans Foundation was awarded during the ceremony.
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The Titans recognized two groups during the awards luncheon.  In addition to honoring the Community Quarterback Award finalists, the Titans recognized their charitable stadium drive partners who assisted in various collections on game days this past season.  Titans executives Steve Underwood, Senior EVP, General Counsel and Executive Assistant to Chairman of the Board; Don MacLachlan, EVP of Administration and Facilities and Mike Reinfeldt, EVP and General Manager, were on hand to present the awards.  Mike Keith, Titans Director of Broadcasting, was the event's emcee.
Howell, founder of Franktown Open Hearts, was genuinely surprised when he was selected as the 2008 Titans Community Quarterback Award winner. After being honored with a standing ovation, Howell took the podium and expressed why helping others is so important to him and the organization.

"I watch the young men who take that field (pointing to LP Field) and they do not do it in vain or for show; they do it because they mean it," said Howell. "And it's because of the football program at Franklin High School that Franktown Open Hearts was born.  I have been involved with football at Franklin High School for over 15 years and I got tired of seeing these young men not achieve their goals.  Simply, we want to help give these boys the best life we can."

Howell's inspiring attitude was shared by the other finalists, a selflessness that is never about them but how they can positively affect someone else's life.  For the runner-up, Diane Harsha of Franklin, who earned a $5,000 grant for the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee in recognition of her charitable efforts, it was no different.

 "I am very pleased to accept the plaque for my service and I am thrilled that the YWCA received this much money.  What they do with it, is up to them but I'm sure it will be effectively used where it is truly needed," said Harsha.

Two additional semi-finalists were recognized, each earning $2,500 for their respective charities. Jeannie Butler of Nashville was recognized for her work with Annabelle's Wish and Dan Onkst of Murfreesboro was recognized for his work with A.B.L.E. Youth, Inc.

The Titans Community Quarterback Award program is an annual statewide competition that recognizes outstanding volunteers in the state of Tennessee, ages 13 years old and up.  This program honors individuals who exemplify leadership, dedication, and a commitment to improving the communities in which they live through their volunteer service at a non-profit organization.  This year's donation raised the total of grants distributed in this program to $184,000 since the program began in 2000.

The following is a brief description of the finalists' volunteer efforts given in the nomination form from each non-profit agency:

Wayne Howell, Franktown Open Hearts – 2008 Titans Community Quarterback Award Winner:
This organization exists to bring hope to Williamson County's inner-city youth through mentoring programs, academic support, recreation, an active college preparation program, and in teaching critical life skills.  Young students from low-income homes in Franklin (mostly African-American students) participate in the program which includes activities three nights a week and on Sunday mornings.   A hot meal and transportation is always included for the participants.  Howell is one of the founders of Franktown Open Hearts and currently serves as the CCM (Chief Cheerleader and Motivator).  He is the "heart and soul" of this organization.  He is an active board member of the group and also their "spokesperson" throughout the Williamson County community.  He has been involved in this vital, life-changing process since he helped co-found Franktown in 2001.

Diane Harsha,  YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee -- 1st Runner-Up:
Since 1898, the YWCA has provided services that help women become better educated, more employable, and able to live free of poverty and violence.  The YWCA provides free GED education to men and women and mentor middle school girls in some of Nashville's toughest neighborhoods.  It is the vision of the YWCA of Nashville to focus on women and girls who desire to create a better quality of life for themselves and/or their families; to achieve self-sufficiency; and to increase their financial strength.  For 25 years, Diane Harsha has volunteered for domestic violence-related causes.  Diane has spent the last ten years as a volunteer of the YWCA of Nashville, devoting more than 2,000 hours of her time to making the Weaver Domestic Violence Shelter a safe haven for thousands of battered women and their children.  Diane gained compassion for victims of domestic violence when she served as a police officer in Alabama.  Today, Diane is a FBI agent and terrorism expert and her career in assessing and defusing dangerously hostile life and death situations makes her a compassionate, observant, unobtrusive and stellar volunteer.

Jeannie Butler, Annabelle's Wish – Semi-Finalist:
Jeannie is the founder and also the current volunteer executive director.  The mission of Annabelle's Wish is to provide basic necessities – and a chance for life – to orphaned children.  After the May 12, 2008 earthquake in China, she personally took 1,400 lbs of supplies to many of the 4,000 orphans living on the streets.  In her volunteer role, she speaks to civic groups, recruits volunteers and does fundraising events on behalf of the organization.  She is very active in assisting American families with the legalities of adopting children from China.  More importantly, she has saved the lives of many children left in what is called "the dying room" of orphanages where injured or ill children are left with little or no medical care by arranging medical care for them which literally saved their lives and helped them be adopted by American families.

Dan Onkst, A.B.L.E. Youth – Semi-Finalist:ABLE Youth teaches children in wheelchairs ages 3-22 how to live healthy, happy, spiritual and independent lives through mentoring, tutoring and the opportunity to participate in wheelchair sports.  These children learn to work hard, believe in themselves and help others.  The program emphasizes it is not the circumstances that matter, but what we do with them.  Dan Onkst has been in instrumental volunteer for ABLE Youth for the past seven years and is whatever or whoever the organizations asks him to be.  Dan is the coach of the traveling wheelchair basketball team; he is a volunteer at any and all events such as Super Sports Saturday, the Christmas party and all fundraising events.  He is a chaperone for kids on out of town trips; he's the chauffer for all the kids who need rides to events and he drives the team from town to town in the van during basketball season.   He helps load and unload the equipment trailer at least 2-3 times per month.  He is always willing to help whenever the need arises.

Previous Titans Community Quarterback Award Winners:
2007- Bill Boss, Hands-On Science Center, Tullahoma                
2006- Mary McEwen, Bethlehem Center, Nashville
2005- Sondra Clark, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville
2004- Mary Cunningham, Meals on Wheels, Kingsport
2003- Wayne Watson, Colonial Heights United Methodist Church, Kingsport
2002- Lynn Dunwoody, Auxiliary Probation Service, Memphis
2001- Anna Sternheimer, Nashville Family Shelter, Nashville
2000- Georgeanna Chapman, Martha O'Bryan Center, Nashville