The 2016 Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Awards banquet will feature Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal as the keynote speaker.
        The annual invitation-only gala, recognizing citizens for selfless devotion to others, will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Georgia Southern University's Nessmith-Lane Building.
        The awards event is in its 28th year, and "honors members of the Statesboro and Bulloch County area whose high level of service to others merits special recognition," said Statesboro Herald President Joe McGlamery, who is also chairman of the event's selection committee. The event is hosted by the Statesboro Herald.
        This year's banquet will honor 21 individuals, including three Lifetime Achievement award recipients and "will culminate with the naming of the Statesboro Herald Humanitarian of the Year," he said.
        First Lady Deal, the daughter of educators, has dedicated her life to encouraging childhood education. As a Georgia public school teacher, she taught for more than 15 years, and retired as a sixth grade middle school teacher in Hall County.
        In her role as First Lady, promoting literacy has been one of her top priorities. As part of her "Read Across Georgia" tour,   Deal has visited and read in all 159 counties and 181 school districts to encourage student reading.
        She has visited more than 550 schools in Georgia, so far, encouraging students to love reading and to become "life-long learners." Like her husband, Gov. Nathan Deal, the First Lady believes a good education is the key to future success.
        Community service and volunteering are also a top focus of the First Lady's. To that end, Deal launched "With a Servant's Heart" in 2011. What began as a statewide day of service quickly grew into regular participation in community service programs and volunteer events across Georgia.
        Deal grew up in Gainesville and graduated from Georgia College & State University, where she serves as a member of the board of trustees.
        The Deals have been married for 49 years and have four children and six grandchildren. They are members of First Baptist Church in Gainesville.