The Telegraph finds ‘the perfect fit’ to take the reins of the Golden Eagle Awards.

About 45 minutes after The Telegraph published a column asking for a community partner to take the reins of the Golden Eagle Awards, George McCanless, the president and CEO of the United Way of Central Georgia, sent an email to Ross McDuffie, general manager of The Telegraph.

McCanless told McDuffie that the United Way would be interested in taking on the program.

“Being an organization that’s focused on disrupting the cycle of family poverty, the main way that you do that is through education,” McCanless said.

Although McCanless said most of the United Way’s programs support younger students, such as Read United, he believes the Golden Eagle Awards will give the agency the opportunity to show those younger children what they can achieve while celebrating academic success.

The Golden Eagle Awards were established in 1977 to honor the achievements of high school seniors in the community in 13 different categories. Each winner receives a $1,000 scholarship along with a Golden Eagle Award, and each honorable mention receives a $300 scholarship.

The Telegraph will continue as the media sponsor providing advertising and promoting the event, McDuffie said.

“We will continue to support the event basically in any way that we can. That will primarily be in the role as media sponsor, but we will champion it wherever we can,” McDuffie said.

The Telegraph received a lot of interest from different community partners, McDuffie said, but United Way was the organization that was the most prepared to continue the event this year and take it to the next level, he said.

“United Way of Central Georgia is the perfect fit to take the reins of the Golden Eagles,” McDuffie said. “I continue to be inspired by the spirit of service and commitment to excellence in education throughout this community. With United Way’s help, the Golden Eagles will continue to celebrate that legacy of excellence.”

In the column The Telegraph published Feb. 9, McDuffie explained the challenges local newsrooms face today and said The Telegraph was no longer, “the best engine to power, plan, facilitate and execute a program like the Golden Eagles.”

McCanless said he hopes to develop the program to also have an aspect that is similar to Education Together, a program created to provide financial aid to Middle Georgia students who need help to extend their education.

He would also like to find former Golden Eagle Award winners and find a way for them to mentor current high school students, he said.

As the former publisher of The Telegraph, McCanless said he is very familiar with the program.

“I have seen the impact it can have,” McCanless said. “It gives them, I think, an incredible confidence boost that they then take with them as they take this next step into this next level in education.”

This story was originally published February 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM.