Leslie B. Littlejohn, a longtime civic leader and philanthropist, will be inducted into the Horizons Savannah Hall of Fame at the organization's annual gala Oct. 23.
The event begins at 6 p.m. at the DeSoto Hotel Savannah, 15 E. Liberty St., according to a community announcement. The gala will feature the Hall of Fame Awards ceremony, dinner and a paddle raise, with local media personality Renee LaSalle serving as emcee.
Proceeds will support Horizons Savannah's summer enrichment program for local youth.
Littlejohn recognized for support of education
Littlejohn has served for more than a decade on Horizons Savannah's Board of Directors, helping the organization grow its programs and community reach, according to the announcement.
"Since Horizons Savannah was founded in 2002, Leslie’s generosity
has helped build the program from the ground up," Executive Director Christy Edwards said. "She is our program’s biggest cheerleader, and her mission is to tell everyone she meets about Horizon’s huge impact on kids, encouraging them to match her commitments."
Littlejohn is a former editor at Condé Nast's "Glamour" and a former fashion editor at Hearst's "Harper's Bazaar." She supported the launch of the Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, Connecticut.
She serves on the Board of Trustees at Telfair Museums and Savannah Classical Academy and previously served on the boards of Bethesda Academy and The Taft School.
"Leslie genuinely wants every child to be successful and have all the opportunities they need to thrive — and she works tirelessly, without fanfare, to achieve our mission," Edwards said. "We are deeply honored to have the opportunity to recognize her tremendous contributions to Horizons Savannah at our annual gala on Oct. 23."
Horizons Savannah serves more than 350 students
Horizons Savannah, founded at Savannah Country Day School in 2002, serves more than 350 local students each year with tuition-free, six-week summer academic and enrichment programs and additional year-round educational programming.
The organization has expanded its programs by more than 70% over the past decade, according to the announcement.
A longitudinal study cited by the organization found Horizons students improve their reading and math skills and have higher school attendance rates, fewer disciplinary referrals, higher standardized test scores in science and math and fewer instances of repeating a grade.
Horizons Savannah is one of more than 70 sites in the National Horizons Network.
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This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Horizons Savannah gala to honor Leslie B. Littlejohn
