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Khoury named ‘Pilot of the Year’

The Fifth Annual LSUS RiverBend Revue continued the successful tradition of raising money for LSUS and recognizing supporters of the university when it honored George A. Khoury Jr. as LSUS Pilot of the Year in early September at the Horseshoe Riverdome.

More than 400 LSUS supporters and friends of the honoree packed the popular venue for an evening featuring elegant dining and gentle ribbing of the popular Shreveport philanthropist. The event was sponsored by the LSUS Foundation to raise funds for the LSUS American Humanics program and to support other university needs.

“As the tradition continues, this event gets better each year.” said Glenda Erwin, interim vice chancellor for development. “George has done so much for our community and you could tell that the crowd was particularly moved by his unique and unselfish life story.”

The event included a cocktail hour followed by a welcome from Michael Woods, president of the LSUS Foundation, and chair of the event. Following a seated dinner, the “Revue” took a lighthearted look at Khoury’s life, highlighting his family’s community spirit.

Marilyn Joiner wrote the musical script for the event about Khoury and his family as “The Candy Man” in reference to his parents, candy makers, who were famous for their peanut patties made and sold in a store in the Allendale neighborhood in Shreveport. The Revue was performed by Susan and Patrick Kirten, two local veteran actors who have performed at previous RiverBend Revues.

“Marilyn’s script was fabulous as always, bringing together family and friends to help tell the story,” Erwin said. “She was able to communicate to the audience George’s humble lifestyle and family values, with a few gentle jabs in between.”

The event closed with a video of Khoury’s life featuring photos of him as a young man and highlights of his life including his winning of the Medal of Honor.

RiverBend Revue was established in 1998 to honor individuals who have demonstrated significant service to the university. The event is also the premier fundraising event on campus, annually raising more than $100,000 for the university and recognizing the major gifts to LSUS from the past year.

The first recipient of the Pilot of the Year award was LSUS Chancellor Vincent Marsala. Other honorees have been Norman and Peggy Kinsey, James K. Elrod, Joe and Abby Averett, and Virginia K. Shehee.

“I am especially pleased the LSUS Foundation recognized and honored George Khoury as Pilot of the Year,” Marsala said. “He is more than a benefactor to our university; he is a great friend and a role model for us all. This event allowed us to honor the virtues he learned growing up: perseverance, a strong work ethic, thriftiness, strong moral values and compassion for his fellow man. We are truly fortunate he has chosen to be a part of our campus family.”

The planning committee will begin planning the 2005 RiverBend Revue to be held on Thursday, Sept. 8.