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United Way of the Midlands honors one of Columbia’s most humble community leaders
George "Bill" Rogers named 2009 Humanitarian of the Year
COLUMBIA, SC - Thursday, February 25 – At the 26th Anniversary of the United Way of the Midlands Humanitarian of the Year award, the Palmetto Society will recognize George "Bill" Rogers for his extraordinary business and community leadership in the Midlands community.
The black tie event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 pm at Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, and all are invited. Registration is required and available at uway.org. Tickets are $65 per person.
George W. "Bill" Rogers is the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Bonitz, Inc. and Chairman Emeritus of Consolidated Systems. Bill is a successful businessman who established these businesses in the 1950s and has seen them grow and thrive to achieve nationwide and even global recognition. He has created thousands of jobs while quietly making major personal contributions to his community and to South Carolina.
"Recognizing someone like Bill who quietly goes about improving lives and caring for others is what the Humanitarian of the Year Award is all about," said Mac Bennett, United Way of the Midlands President & CEO. "February 25 will be a chance for us at United Way of the Midlands to publicly recognize this humble man, but the true rewards of his dedication to our community can be seen every day throughout the Midlands and across the State of South Carolina."
Bill is an unpretentious business and community leader who avoids the limelight while investing in the community. His generosity is usually behind the scenes contributing to causes and engaging others to join him as donors and advocates. He has not allowed his name to be used in conjunction with his charitable work until recently because he did not want the projects to be about him. He has allowed a few charities to publicize his contributions as a way to motivate others to join with him.
The organizations he has touched include The Carolina Children's Home, Claflin University, The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Habitat for Humanity. Unconventionally, Rogers has utilized his engineering skills and business aptitude to build two companies that are not only instrumental to the South Carolina economy by employing hundreds of people, but also help to maintain the values and best practices of community service within the business world.
Tickets to the event are still available. To register, go to www.uway.org or contact Whitney Sousa at 803.733.5419 or wsousa@uway.org.
About United Way of the Midlands
United Way of the Midlands is the most organized, efficient and accountable system for investing in the community. With more than 80 certified partner agencies, United Way works to identify and respond to the critical human service needs of Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties. Funds are raised through workplace campaigns, grant writing and individual donations. For more information, please visit www.uway.org.
