Dancing With the Stars Finalist, Wounded U.S. Army War Veteran Noah Galloway To Be Keynote at Baylor Nursing School’s ‘Going for the Gold’ Gala

Evening to include Baylor graduate Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver

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Media contact: Whitney Cortner, (214) 820-4176

DALLAS, Texas (Feb. 19, 2016) – The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) will host its fifth annual "Going for the Gold Gala" at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel at 2222 N. Stemmons Freeway.

This event continues the tradition of spotlighting championship efforts to raise scholarship funds for student nurses who would not otherwise be able to attend the School. Donors also will have the opportunity to support the nursing school's new building fund.

LHSON will salute military and nursing veterans with keynote speaker Noah Galloway, a wounded United States Army war veteran and finalist on the popular TV program, “Dancing with the Stars.” Saralinda Garcia, a 2010 graduate of LHSON, will share her testimony, having served 18 years in the U.S. Navy and as a medic during a tour in Iraq. In addition, Baylor graduate Terrance Williams, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, will attend. Emmy Award-winning meteorologist Pete Delkus, will emcee, concluding the evening with “Dancing with the Starrs” to include Baylor President and Chancellor Ken Starr and Alice Starr, Baylor’s First Lady.

Baylor nurses have cared for soldiers in every armed conflict since the Civil War. The School of Nursing prepares students for their calling to be the hands and feet of Christ. In keeping with its commitment to our veterans, and in honoring the rich history of veteran nurses at Baylor, LHSON recently endorsed the White House’s Joining Forces Initiative, a nationwide call to rally around service members, veterans and their families and support them through wellness, education and employment opportunities. As part of this initiative, LHSON commits to strengthening the curriculum and instruction students receive on topics related to veterans’ issues like traumatic brain injury, PTSD and other concerns that impact their well-being.

Past events featured champion athletes such as Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Quarterback Robert Griffin III (RGIII) and former Baylor linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Singletary in 2015; America's Gold Medal legend Mary Lou Retton in 2014; former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith in 2013; and Baylor's championship-winning women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey who joined former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman at the inaugural gala in 2012. Over the years, the events have raised more than $2 million for student scholarships.

Individual ticket and table sales as well as the live and silent auction proceeds underwrite the gala’s cost.
Tickets to attend the gala are $200 per seat for individuals and $2,500 for a table for 10 guests. For more information, visit the "Going for the Gold Gala" website, call (214) 808-9802 or email nursinggala@baylor.edu.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY LOUISE HERRINGTON SCHOOL OF NURSING – DALLAS, TEXAS

The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is now Baylor University Medical Center, and in 1950 became one of the six degree-granting schools of Baylor University. The first Baccalaureate degrees were enrolled in 1950 and graduated in 1952, establishing the school as one of the oldest baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States. In 1999, the School was renamed the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing after Louise Herrington Ornelas, a 1992 Baylor Alumna Honoris Causa, who made an endowment gift to the school. Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing, LHSON offers Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees through a Traditional program and FastBacc (one year accelerated program). LHSON also offers a new online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Leadership and Innovation program, as well as Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs to include, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Nurse-Midwife (CNM) and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP). For more information visit www.baylor.edu/nursing.