Meet the Honorees: Lauren Ellis De Witt

Name someone that has been influential in your life. 
My children, but especially my daughter, Emily Grace. 

Name a hobby, or your favorite sport.
I am a total bookworm! I also love cooking, baking, and any type of crafting.

What does being a Great Futures Gala Honoree mean to you?
I really cannot overstate how much this honor means to me. Experiencing the birth of and watching my own children grow has given me a new perspective on the importance of giving the most innocent in our community every chance possible to thrive. Children are not just our future, they are our present. With every child we help, there's a family behind them that is equally lifted. The impact we have, for better or for worse, starts today and is generational. That is truly an awesome responsibility that we have as a community, and I am humbled to be able to help in this small way.

Where did you grow up?
Mobile, Alabama

Why do you feel it's important to give back?
I am who I am today because of an army of people behind me who have been praying for me, teaching me, and coaching me since birth. The fingerprints of a thousand people shape each one of us, and the impacts are generational. We all have a responsibility every single day to reach out and touch the lives of those around us for good. Not everyone is as fortunate as I was to be surrounded by so many amazing people growing up, so it's my responsibility to carry on the legacy of those who made me who I am and pass that along through my own fingerprints in our community.

What did you want to be growing up?
A UN Ambassador