AutoZone Liberty Bowl to Honor
Priscilla Presley
with Distinguished Citizen Award
Event will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Priscilla Presley, who was the driving force behind the opening of Graceland® to the public, will be here to receive the award on Sunday, June 24 at the Hilton Memphis Hotel. A cocktail reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the award presentation at 6:30 p.m. A live auction and silent auction will also be held during the evening, with 100% of all proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The 24th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl Golf Classic will be held the following day, Monday, June 25 at Ridgeway Country Club.
“Just like Graceland, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl is one of Memphis’ great treasures,” said Priscilla Presley. “It is a great honor to be recognized as their 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award recipient. Many exceptional American icons in business, sports and entertainment have received this award and I very much appreciate the AutoZone Liberty Bowl including me on this list of incredible individuals.”
“Priscilla joins a long list of great Americans who have distinguished themselves and reached the pinnacle of their chosen field,” said Steve Ehrhart, Executive Director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. “We are proud to include Priscilla among the luminaries who have been honored by the AutoZone Liberty Bowl during our long history.”
Priscilla defied all the accountants, lawyers and managers who wanted to sell Graceland in the late 1970’s. Priscilla had the singular vision and passion to open her former home to the public and develop Graceland into one of the most well-known and iconic destinations in the world. Her efforts have brought millions of visitors and hundreds of millions of dollars of economic development to Memphis.
In her business career, Priscilla founded several successful businesses and is still active today.
Priscilla’s acting career has spanned decades. She was one of the dramatic stars of the long-running, hit TV series “Dallas” and also displayed her acting skills as a comedic star in the popular “Naked Gun” movies. She is still active today on both stage and screen.
In 2016 and 2017, Priscilla produced two acclaimed, chart-topping albums, “If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,” and “The Wonder of You: Elvis with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.” Most recently, she was Executive Producer of the new HBO documentary feature film, “Elvis Presley: The Searcher,” debuting on HBO later this month.
Priscilla’s philanthropic endeavors include a long-time position as an Ambassador of the Dream Foundation, granting last wishes to terminally ill adults. Her love of animals has led to her great support of the Humane Society of the United States, lobbying on Capitol Hill to urge members of Congress to cosponsor the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to protect Tennessee Walking Horses.
About the Distinguished Citizen Award:
As the 7th oldest bowl game in America, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl was founded on the principles of freedom, patriotism and liberty. One of the Bowl’s time-honored traditions is the annual presentation of the Distinguished Citizen Award. The award has been presented to a cross section of prominent Americans from a wide range of professions, including military commanders, governors and congressmen, as well as leaders in business, medicine, education, entertainment and sports.
Previous honorees include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital founder Danny Thomas; U.S. Army General Kenneth Tovo; Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Peter Doherty; FedEx founder Fred Smith; AutoZone founder Pitt Hyde; U.S. Navy Admiral William Lawrence and Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. Legends from the sports world such as Paul “Bear” Bryant, Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz, Tony Dungy, Lee Corso, Darrell Waltrip, Dick Vitale, Archie Manning and Tim McCarver have also received the award.
Individual seats for the dinner may be purchased for $100 or a table of ten (10) seats may be purchased for $1,000. The dinner includes buffet dinner, cocktails and wine. To reserve a table or individual seat, please call the AutoZone Liberty Bowl at (901) 795-7700 or CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE.
