Backup Documents 09/27/2011 Item #16H1PROCLAMATION 16HI
WHEREAS, James Garvin grew up in Immoka/ee in a two -room shock with no running water or indoor plumbing; one of five
children, James picked fruit and vegetables at near- poverty wages as a child and might still be working the
fields if not for the intervention of a caring guidance counselor, Florence Je/ks, who took him in after his
father passed away when James was 15 and,
WHEREAS, James Garvin was recruited by a number of colleges for both his athletic and musical prowess where he
eventually settled on Howard University in Washington, D.C., one of the nation's pre- eminent predominately
black colleges; and
WHEREAS, James Garvin played baseball for Coach Chuck Hinton, a former Washington Senator who became another
treasured mentor, and captained the team his senior year Coach Hinton also introduced him to go /f. and,
WHEREAS, James Garvin worked part time on the grounds crew at Langston before and after he graduated from Howard
in 1978 where he began his career as a food - service executive with the Marriott Corporation, working in
several cities around the country before retuning to Washington in 1990 and accepting a job with 60/f
Course Specialists to become the genera/ manager at Langston, and!
WHEREAS, as a result of his success, James Garvin continues to strive to give back to children and was instrumental in
creating the academic center at Langston, which opened in ZOOO, which has seen an estimated 600 youngsters
come through every year, with many of them using the skills they learned there to boost their test scores
and grades and go on to college;
WHEREAS, James Garvin raises fLwds to support a number of educational programs /inked closely to his golf courses and
aimed primarily at helping neighborhood youngsters to not on /y stay in school, but also thrive and eventually
move on to colleges around the country, whether with or without the golf skills his programs also teach, and
WHEREAS, James Garvin was inducted into the African American 601fers Ha /l of Fame in 2006 and believes that a lot of
people took the time to point him in the right direction when he was growing up and it made all the difference
in the world, and thats what he's trying to do now, just make a difference; and,
WHEREAS, we commend and congratulate James Garvin for his selfless contributions to the communities he represents
and wish him contAlMed success with these programs in the future.
NOW THEREFORE, be it proclaimed by the Boars' of County Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, that October 8, 2011 be
designated as
JAMES 6AMN DAY
DONE AND ORDERED THIS 27th Day of September, 2011.
BOARD OF COUNTY cnAwn
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
- - FRED COYLE, CHAIRMAN
.1- TTEST:
D 6 BROOK, CLERK