Hargrove Foundation Gala

We invite you to join us as we commemorate our 10-year anniversary, a celebration of over $2M granted to support education, health and human services, arts and culture, and qualified sports activities. In addition to the core sectors that we support, the Foundation has provided $100,000 in COVID-19 relief, offering assistance when it is critical and needed the most. It is through the generosity of our partners and our team that we are able to serve all 16 communities where Hargrove’s offices are located.

This year, we welcome all-star athlete Bo Jackson and Sarah Thomas, the NFL’s first female referee, as the featured guest speakers for the 2021 Hargrove Foundation Gala.

Bo Jackson is considered one of the greatest all-around athletes in history, excelling as an acclaimed NFL sportsman and major league baseball player. He was drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school, but he instead decided to attend Auburn University. Jackson lettered in all three sports at Auburn, but he made his biggest impact on the football field, where he was twice named a consensus All-American running back (1983 and 1985) and won the 1985 Heisman Trophy after rushing for 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jackson launched his professional football career in 1986 when he was selected by the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL - the same year that he made his Major League Baseball debut. During his professional baseball career, he played for the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox, and the California Angels. In 1989, Jackson was named to the American League All-Star team during a season in which he established career highs with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in. The following year, he rushed for 698 yards and five touchdowns over 10 games to earn Pro Bowl honors, thus becoming the first athlete to make all-star teams in two major North American sports.

In April 2015, Sarah Thomas was one of nine new game officials added to the NFL officiating roster, making history as the first full-time female official in the NFL. Legendary in her own right, her hat, whistle, and flag from the September 13th game between Kansas City and Houston are now on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Thomas previously achieved a historic milestone in 2007 when she became the first female to officiate for the NCAA’s Major College Football Division Bowl. In early January 2019, it was announced that Sarah would make history again as the first female to officiate a postseason NFL game. To wrap up her 2020 season, Sarah shattered the glass ceiling as she was selected to work Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida, making her the first female to ever work a Super Bowl.

This year’s speakers personify Hargrove Foundation’s values of leadership and teamwork to positively impact the lives of others. The Foundation’s role as a community advocate has led the organization to support hundreds of charitable organizations throughout the Gulf Coast. Donations made by members of the Hargrove team are matched dollar for dollar by Hargrove Engineers + Constructors — doubling the impact of contributions made.