Hayward to speak at Unity Breakfast
Lee County’s newest judge, North Fort Myers High School graduate Archie B. Hayward Jr., is the keynote speaker at 7:30 a.m. Monday for the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast.
Hayward, a Fort Myers native, was appointed to the bench by Gov. Charlie Crist in August.
“Throughout his 24-year career, Archie has demonstrated honesty and integrity and a commitment to serving his community,” Crist said in announcing Hayward’s selection. “His experience in civil and criminal law, through both public and private practice, make him a welcome addition to the Lee County bench.”
Prior to his appointment, Hayward was a staff attorney and senior project leader for Florida Rural Legal Services, a non-profit that provide free counsel to indigents and low-income elderly persons. Previously, he had became familiar with elder issues while caring for his parents and performing legal work for their friends and acquaintances.
He also worked as an assistant public defender in Fort Myers from 1984 to 1989.
The Unity Breakfast, sponsored by the Xi Omicron Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., takes place in the cafeteria of Dunbar High School, 3800 East Edison Ave. Doors open at 7:15 a.m. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Dr. King’s Dream: Inspiring a New Generation Through Hope, Courage and Love.”
Proceeds will be used by XOL to aid students in their pursuit of academic excellence through the awarding of partial scholarships, mentoring, tutoring and the administration of leadership training. Ken Beauvais, lead student of Florida Gulf Coast University’s Oratorical Cadre, will present an address as this year’s “Up-and-Coming” speaker.
XOL is asking the community to support the event via attendance, program advertisements or donations. Individual tickets are $10. A business card-size ad is $25. A reserved table for six people is $70 and a community sponsorship is $100 for six-person table and recognition. Checks should be made payable to Alpha Phi Alpha-Xi Omicron Lambda, P.O. Box 61551, Fort Myers, FL 33906.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., in 1906. XOL Chapter, chartered in 1983 and re-established in 2004, is the only chapter servicing Lee and Collier counties. XOL is committed to the fraternity’s mission to develop leaders and promote brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.