The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Laura Bush Honored At Mentors Gala

Mentors featured the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and a special presentation by First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush at its fourth annual fundraising gala on Friday, November 7. The special event, held at the Grand America Hotel Ballroom in Salt Lake City, was entitled “Celebrating a Legacy of Hope.”

Mentors attacks poverty worldwide by providing microcredit loans, high-quality mentoring, and encouragement to hardworking micro-entrepreneurs, especially women.

Over 1,200 people attended the reception and dinner and Lloyd Newell, the voice of Music and the Spoken Word, was master of ceremonies for the night. The purpose of the event was to raise funds for Mentors partner organizations in the Philippines and Central and South America who work directly with the poor.

“It was the most inspiring event of this nature that I have ever witnessed,” said Mark L. Petersen, president and CEO of Mentors. “The importance of lifting families in poverty with a hand up and not a hand out, coupled with the power and beauty of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir touched the hearts of everyone in attendance.

“Even in difficult economic times, we far exceeded expectations in our fundraising hopes for the evening,” continued Petersen. “Those who attended our gala were so generous, and thousands upon thousands of lives will be blessed through their contributions.”

The night began with a presentation of the Mentors Distinguished Service Award to Marion D. Hanks, a former Mentors board chairman and emeritus general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Hanks brought to the Mentors board a broad and varied background which centered around his love for mankind and Mentors benefitted greatly from Hanks' deep interest in improving the lives of people throughout the world.

“His life-long humanitarian efforts paralleled what Mentors did,’ said friend and past Mentors president, Dick Oscarson who often traveled with Hanks worldwide making others aware of the Mentors mission. Together Hanks and Oscarson presented Mentors Insight meetings in over 30 different locales from Houston, Dallas, and Chicago to many parts of Utah and his influence did not end there. Hanks was also influential in helping develop the Mentors partner organizations in the Philippines and in Latin America.

Senator Orrin Hatch then presented First Lady Laura Bush with the Mentors International Humanitarian Award via video telecast.

“I am honored to receive Mentors’ International Humanitarian Service Award,” said Mrs. Bush. “The mission of Mentors is to alleviate poverty by empowering the less fortunate with tools to improve their lives. My life long commitment to global literacy shares Mentors’ dedication to help underprivileged people in developing countries become self-sufficient.

“Today, because of charities like Mentors,” she continued, “more people are learning about the groundbreaking benefits of micro-credit and more are joining the call to end the causes of global poverty. To accomplish the tremendous task that lies before us, we need the support of those who have been given much… to help those who have great need.” Her complete acceptance speech can be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRlhXs9oDro.

Hatch told audience members how proud he was of Mentors that they could associate their name with a woman whose name has become a symbol of service.

Newell then introduced an informational video on Mentors. This video was followed by a special recognition award given by Mentors’ Chair Mary Ellen Smoot to the Tabernacle Choir, which was accepted by their president, Mac Christensen.

Among the numbers performed by the Choir were, Consider the Lillies, To Dream the Impossible Dream, The Battle Hymn of the Republic and He Shall Feed His Flock, among other songs. The songs were interspersed by Newell’s description of some of the Mentors clients he met while on a Mentors field trip this summer to Guatemala and El Salvador.

“On the trip, I learned that Mentors not only provides microloans but it more importantly gives the impoverished hope. Once the clients have that jumpstart from Mentors, they finally have that glimmer of hope that their lives really can improve,” Newell noted.

The evening closed with comments from Petersen who told the audience of Mentors “Ïmpossible Dream” of growing from serving 30,000 families annually to over one million families annually in the next 5-6 years. “The task that is before us seems almost unreachable, but with your help we can do it,” he said.

Mentors currently functions in Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico and the Philippines through seven partner organizations. During its eighteen-year history, it has helped more than 810,000 people and 142,000 families work their way out of poverty.

Each foundation has its own local board of directors and staff and Mentors provides start-up support, training, funding, and loan capital. Many of its loan officers worldwide are returned missionaries from their own countries who not only lift their countrymen from the despair of poverty, but share their good examples and influence wherever they go.

Mentors devotes 100-percent of all its fundraising to the direct benefit of its overseas clients. Its board of directors covers all U.S. administrative costs. The organization’s operating philosophy and policies are based upon the concept that a successful life, business or society can be built only by building individual character.

Ninety-five percent of all loans granted by Mentors are repaid and the funds are self-perpetuated to the benefit of even more clients.

"We are so grateful to Lloyd Newell and the members of the Tabernacle Choir who were generous with their time that evening,” said Petersen. “Performance demands take them away from their families more than 150 days each year—that they would share their time and join us in this amazing cause is truly humbling.”