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Tommy Nobis Center to host 20th Galaxy of Stars Luncheon at Cobb Energy April 27

Marietta Daily Journal - 4/16/2018

MARIETTA - Tommy Nobis Center, a Marietta-based nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities enter or return to employment, will host its 20th annual Galaxy of Stars Luncheon on April 27 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

Since 1998, corporate and community leaders have gathered at the luncheon to honor the impact of Tommy Nobis Center's programs, celebrate its participants and raise much needed funds to support ongoing operations.

This year's special Galaxy of Stars event theme is "It Can Be Done!" Tommy Nobis Center will present eight different awards to recognize the hard work and dedication of outstanding individuals who embody the legacy of Tommy Nobis and the organization's mission. Those awards include: The Thomas A. Slaughter Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Family Member Advocate of the Year, Joyce W. Slaughter Tommy Nobis Center Employee of the Year Award, Bobbie R. Knopf Nobis Enterprises Employee of the Year Award, Tommy Nobis Rising Star, Community Champion Award and Visionary Award for an Outstanding Employer. This year, the luncheon will also welcome Gov. Nathan Deal as a guest speaker.

The event co-chairs, Mike Frost and Chris Wasserman, both have close connections to the organization and bring a unique perspective to planning the event. Frost is founder and president of TelPlus Communications and won the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award as a former program participant. Wasserman, who is a market manager at digital staffing agency Vitamin T., witnessed how Tommy Nobis Center helped his father find a new line of work following back surgeries that were the result of years in the commercial roofing industry.

"This event is very special to Chris and me," said Frost. "My experience going from program participant to board chair to employing program participants has given me a love for Tommy Nobis Center and what it stands for, what it's built around and its core principles," he added. This year, the luncheon will welcome Gov. Nathan Deal as a guest speaker.

"We are honored to have Gov. Deal speak at this year's unique luncheon, which will honor the legacy of our co-founder Tommy Nobis in addition to our hard-working program participants, their families and our employees. Everyone participating has embodied our mission of empowering people through employment, and we couldn't be more proud," said Dave Ward, Tommy Nobis Center president and CEO.

In a nod to Tommy Nobis' efforts on and off the field, the event will include sports-related raffle items provided by generous Atlanta donors, including lunch for four with former head Falcons coach Dan Reeves, tickets to an Atlanta Braves baseball game, tickets to a University of Georgia football game, two tickets to the Auburn vs. Washington Chick-fil-A kickoff game, Tommy Nobis signed memorabilia, a signed Peyton Manning photo and more. Raffle tickets can be purchased online.

For more information, visit nobisworks.salsalabs.org/2018galaxyofstarsluncheoncopy1/index.html.

Since 1977, Tommy Nobis Center has helped more than 25,000 individuals find independence and workplace success by empowering people through employment. It envisions supportive communities where people with disabilities are afforded the opportunity to work.

For more information, visit www.tommynobiscenter.org, or follow on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

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