President Carter Zorn

On behalf of the All Sports Association, I would like to welcome you to the 53rd annual awards banquet.

Tonight’s banquet is the culmination of a year of work for our club members, who have worked tirelessly to bring this program together. I have been honored to have served as this year’s President and to lead such a giving organization. We have witnessed many great achievements in our area over the past year, both athletically and academically. We have also experienced great loss; many stalwart contributors to our mission have passed in the last 12 months.

In the past eight years, our organization has given over 1.5 million dollars to local youth and to support youth athletics. Our primary fundraiser for the year is this Banquet, however there are several other events that we participate in as well. We have 100 dues paying members who contribute their time to our mission. Bear in mind that we have no paid staff or administration, so 100% of our money raised after expenses goes right back into our community. Our primary beneficiaries are:

• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast

• Special Olympics Florida – Okaloosa County

• Fellowship of Christian Athletes

• Eleanor J. Johnson Youth Center in Fort Walton Beach

It has been an eventful week for us. On Wednesday, we inducted coaches Bobby Bowden and Grover Hicks into our All Sports Association Hall of Fame. On Thursday afternoon, we had our annual golf outing at Fort Walton Beach golf course. On Thursday evening, we had our Scholastic Fish Fry and recognized our standout local high school athletes. Former NFL linebacker Takeo Spikes spoke and entertained all in attendance.

This morning, we hosted the FCA Breakfast at Northwest Florida State College. In addition to personal testimonies from their peers, former LSU soccer star Mo Isom inspired all of our high school attendees. We also presented the Taylor Haugen Trophy at this event.

Tonight we will recognize the very best of what our local area has to offer. The awards we will present tonight highlight individual scholastic achievement, athletic achievement, sportsmanship and community service. We will present awards in seven categories: male and female scholastic, male and female collegiate, amateur, professional, and special Olympian. In addition to these awards, we are privileged to be the venue for the presentation of “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” the Wuerffel Trophy.

To our sponsors and all attendees, THANK YOU so much for helping us support our mission and benefit youth athletics in Northwest Florida. To my fellow members, I appreciate the opportunity to serve as your President for this year. I appreciate your unwavering help and support throughout the year to help the fulfillment of our mission.

Sincerely,

Carter Zorn

President 2021-2022

All Sports Association