Lettermen of the USA hosted the 5th Annual “One Yard at a Time Gala” presented by Harbert Management Corporation at The Club on February 23, 2024. Guests had the opportunity to meet and celebrate with military heroes, former college & professional football players, and coaches to help raise money for veterans in need. Proceeds from the Gala silent and live auction by Jack Granger, of Granger, Thagard & Associates, Inc. went to benefit and serve discharged veterans, and wounded veterans in need.
Proving that rival teams and rival fan bases can work together to achieve a common goal, Lettermen of the USA (LotUSA) is a national 501 (c)(3) social impact organization that harnesses the incredible power of former college athletes, as well as active and former coaches nationwide to help members of local communities who are in need.
The mission of LotUSA is to impact those we serve by offering the motivation, guidance, and support necessary to pursue success in life, school, and work, One Yard at A Time. For more details visit www.LotUSA.org.
This year’s Athletic Honoree at the One Yard at a Time Gala was Major Ogilvie who is the former University of Alabama Football Standout Running Back. He was an All-SEC First Team performer in 1979 and Second Team All-SEC in 1980. He was an Academic All-American in 1979. He played on two national championship teams in 1978 and 1979. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. He was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the 1980 Sugar Bowl. He was captain of the 1980 team and holds the distinction of being named to the All-Decade Team for both the 1970’s and 1980’s.
The Military Honoree was United States Army SSG Kirk Stafford (Ret) who served 8 years with the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, 75th Ranger Regiment. Mr. Stafford is a Senior Associate on the Harbert Infrastructure team. Before joining HMC in 2019, he served as Lead Financial Analyst at Cigna, where he primarily focused on financial planning and analysis. Prior to Cigna, Mr. Stafford held a position as Director of Sales at Interconn Resources, LLC, marketing natural gas across the Southeastern United States. Mr. Stafford has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Samford University and an MBA from Auburn University.
The Gala proceeds allow Lettermen of the USA to continue their essential programs:
• “Autographs for Heroes”
• “Homes for Heroes”
• “Interiors for Heroes”
• “Laptops for Heroes”
• “Taking Care of Our Own”
• “Utilities for Heroes”
