Adoptive father from The Blind Side to speak at Scholarship Gala

The Legacy League, an Auxiliary of Samford University, will host Sean Tuohy at its annual Scholarship Gala on Thursday, May 2 at Vestavia Country Club.

Tuohy is the adoptive father of Michael Oher, a homeless teenager turned first-round NFL draft pick and now Superbowl champion. Tuohy will share the inspirational story, portrayed in the Academy Award winning movie The Blind Side, of how the Tuohys opened their home to Michael. Their love, stability and support proved to be life-changing, allowing Michael to graduate from Ole Miss while earning All-American honors along the way.

While at Ole Miss himself, Tuohy was named all-SEC each of his four seasons and is the only basketball player in the history of the SEC to lead a statistical category for four years, which he did with assists.

He also led the team to its first and only SEC championship in 1981.

He has since become a successful entrepreneur, building a company that now owns and operates 70 fast food restaurants such as Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s.

Tuohy is also in his 11th season as an NBA broadcaster for the Memphis Grizzlies and is still heavily involved in supporting several minority students at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis.

Sean and his wife, Leigh Anne, have established The Making it Happen Foundation, a charity that promotes awareness, provides hope and improves standards of living for all the children fighting to survive in the invisible cracks in society.

The public is invited to meet and hear Sean Tuohy at the gala; reservations are required. Guests may attend the private reception starting at 6 p.m., followed by the gala dinner, for $125 per person, of which $72.50 is tax-deductible. Guests wishing to attend only the dinner, starting at 7 p.m., may do so for $75 per person, of which $37.50 is tax-deductible.

Proceeds from the gala will go toward endowing a new scholarship to Samford University for students who have been adopted or are currently in foster care.

For more information reservations (available online through April 25), go to samford.edu/legacyleague. For questions, call 726-2247.