LAS VEGAS— The Nevada Broadcasters Association will host its 19th annual Hall of Fame Scholarship Gala, honoring radio and television broadcast professionals Aug. 9 at the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas.
Registration, a reception and entertainment will take place from 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. The reception will take place in the Acacia Ballroom, followed by the program and dinner in the ballroom. The program and dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Attendance costs $125 per ticket.
The reception will include a silent auction utilizing GiveSmart technology. The auction room, which will become the site of dessert and dancing later in the evening will be decorated in the theme of “Cowboy Poetry” to honor D. Ray Gardner, recipient of the NBA Pinnacle Award. Gardner is a broadcaster in Elko whose work helped to bring radio to rural Nevada.
All money raised will go to the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation’s Tony & Linda Bonnici Broadcast/Communications Scholarship fund. Named in honor of the former NBA Lifetime Achievement Award winner and his wife, the scholarships aid in the higher education of broadcast students (up to full tuition) and are unique among UNLV, UNR and CSN scholarships. Recipients are mentored and participate in a mandatory station internship. Last year's auctions raised $40,000, which resulted in 15 scholarships for fall 2014 students.
Thirty-five people will also be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
The inaugural NBA Ambassador Award is named for former KLAS-TV, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and NBA executive, Mark Smith. The first recipient will be Robin Leach, known as a spokesman for Las Vegas.
The NBA Community Achievement Award will be presented to Myron Martin, honoring the president and CEO of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts for hitting the milestone of 1 million visitors to the center.
The 2014 NBA Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to former NBA board chairman Lawson Fox, the longtime general manager of KTVN-TV, the CBS affiliate in Reno. He is being honored for his work on behalf of the association and Nevada's broadcast industry in Washington, D.C.
The evening is dedicated to honoring the memory of the late Jim Rogers for his work in television management, his philanthropic generosity and his commitment to education. Additionally, tribute will be paid to broadcasters who have passed away over the past two years.
