On Wednesday, August 24, friends and colleagues gathered to honor Premier Studios founder and CEO, Gerald Smith, as he was recognized by
Southern Nazarene State University for his contribution to its
Gresham Leadership Grant. The award was presented by
Dr. Terry Toler, vice president of university advancement & church relations at Southern Nazarene University.
Smith, along with five others, trekked more than 10,000 miles through South and Central America on his
Harley-Davidson, raising half a million dollars for philanthropy. The journey was dubbed
Miles With a Mission. Donations poured in from family, friends and businesses who followed their progress online.
Notably in attendance at the ceremony were other Miles With a Mission riders, Brad Moore, vice president of Hallmark Hall of Fame, Dr. Gary Morsch, founder of Heart to Heart International and Docs Who Care, and Doug Eaton, Oklahoma City, who drove into Kansas City for the day. Other riders Stephen Heap, Brazil, and David Clouse, Denver, skyped in for the event.
“I couldn’t be happier about our contribution to the Gresham Leadership Grant,” Smith states. “It’s foundations like this one that provide a helping hand to tomorrow’s great leaders.”
The Gresham Leadership Grant is a scholarship program designed to encourage outstanding young leaders to excel in education and spiritual development. The grant is highly selective and reserved for high school seniors who have clearly demonstrated leadership in their community, church, and school – plus exemplary character in all aspects of their lives.
“Everyone at Premier Studios played such an important part in transforming this adventure into something significant,” said Smith. “There was never the expectation of raising a half a million dollars, but that’s what happened when my colleagues rallied with me to turn this effort into a brand and a cause.”
Read more about Miles With a Mission at
www.mileswithamission.org.
Photo (left to right): Dr. Gary Morsch, Brad Moore, Dr. Terry Toler, Gerald Smith, Doug Eaton