Once upon a time, Asa Hutchinson hitched rides back and forth while dating his then-girlfriend, Susan Burrell. He even hitchhiked across the country to meet his future father-in-law.
"Let me just tell you, folks: Don't go meet your future father-in-law after you hitchhike. You don't make the best impression," he quipped at the March 31 Arkansan of the Year award, a fundraiser for the state's Easter Seals affiliate.
Hutchinson, of course, went on to be someone who'd make any father-in-law proud: Governor of Arkansas. And now, the 2016 Arkansan of the Year.
Themed "A State of Giving," the benefit was held in the Statehouse Convention Center's Wally Allen Ballroom. Beforehand, VIP guests -- including several Easter Seals clients who serve as the agency's ambassadors -- gathered for a reception for the governor and first lady in the Riverview Room of the nearby Little Rock Marriott. They then joined the other guests to dine on a dinner of Boursin crusted chicken and sauteed shrimp, followed by bidding on such live-auction items as the ubiquitous stay at Vista Magnifica villa in Costa Rica. During the evening's Mission Moment, Scott and Avie Hardin shared the story of their son Harrison, 5. Born prematurely, Harrison has benefited from the agency's preschool as well as its therapy program.
"This is an award ... that means a great deal to me," Hutchinson said after an introduction by event chairman Sheffield Nelson, and the award presentation by Nelson, Jay Heflin and agency head Elaine Eubank.
Hutchinson praised the agency as one "designed to lift up an organization that does so much for those that are disabled, that are looking for a better chance in life."
-- Story and photos by Helaine R. Williams
High Profile on 04/10/2016