Horizons Savannah Hall of Fame Gala

Horizons Savannah — an acclaimed tuition-free program in Savannah, Ga. for students K-12 designed to inspire local youth to learn and grow throughout the summer and beyond — is pleased to host the 2026 Hall of Fame Gala on Friday, October 23rd at 6 p.m. at the DeSoto Hotel Savannah, located at 15 E. Liberty St. The gala will include the Hall of Fame Awards ceremony, dinner and paddle raise and will be emceed by local media personality Renee LaSalle. All proceeds from the event will support Horizons Savannah’s summer enrichment program for local youth.

At the gala, Horizons Savannah will induct Leslie B. Littlejohn, a dedicated civic leader and philanthropist with a longstanding commitment to expanding educational opportunities for children, into the Horizons Savannah Hall of Fame. For more than a decade, she has served on the Board of Directors at Horizons Savannah, where she has played a key role in helping grow the program and deepen its impact in the local community.

Littlejohn is the 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, Ct., reflecting her longstanding commitment to enriching children’s learning experiences. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Telfair Museums and Savannah Classical Academy and previously served on the board of Bethesda Academy and The Taft School.

Originally founded at Savannah Country Day School in 2002, Horizons Savannah makes a transformative impact on the lives of more than 350 local students each year who attend tuition-free, six-week summer academic and enrichment programs as well as additional year-round educational programs. Over the past decade, Horizons Savannah has expanded programs by more than 70% to meet the growing needs of local students and families.

According to a recent longitudinal study, Horizons students improve reading and math skills and have higher school attendance rates, fewer disciplinary referrals, higher standardized test scores in science and math and fewer incidents of repeating a grade. Horizons Savannah is one of more than 70 program sites in the National Horizons Network.

Tickets for Horizons Savannah’s 2026 Hall of Fame Gala are currently available for $250 per person at www.horizonssavannah.org/support-us/hall-of-fame, along with tables of 10, sponsorships and ticket packages. All items are available online until Friday, October 16th at 11:59 p.m.