Georgia Christian names Shapiro as speaker

Jul. 15—DASHER — Ben Shapiro, host of what is described as the "largest conservative podcast and radio show in the nation," will be the featured speaker for the annual Georgia Christian School banquet.

Shapiro is the latest in a series of famed speakers booked by Georgia Christian School for its annual banquet, said Brad Lawson, GCS president, and Ryan Warren, GCS board member and banquet chairman.

Past GCS speakers have included former President George W. Bush, former First Lady Laura Bush, former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, legendary quarterback Terry Bradshaw, country music star Vince Gill, former Fox News pundit and author Bill O'Reilly, former coach Lou Holtz, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, former White House press secretary and Fox News host Dana Perino, NFL great Archie Manning.

Warren and Lawson said the school wanted to return to featuring a political speaker. With the appearance scheduled for October, it will only be a handful of months prior to the Georgia presidential primary in March 2024. Lawson said a question-and-answer format is scheduled.

Shapiro "is the co-founder and editor emeritus of 'The Daily Wire' and host of 'The Ben Shapiro Show,' the largest conservative podcast and radio show in the nation," according to biographical information released by Georgia Christian.

He is the author of eight nonfiction books, including the No. 1 New York Times bestseller, "The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great."

"Dubbed as 'a foe of extraordinary polemical agility' by The Washington Post, Shapiro became a nationally syndicated columnist at age 17 and is one of the most requested speakers on college campuses across the country — despite facing violent opposition by protestors," according to his bio information. "He graduated UCLA with a bachelor in political science and then Harvard Law School in 2007, before marrying his wife in 2008. The two have been blessed with four children, including the youngest Shapiro born in 2023."

The GCS banquet featured only sports figures the first few years. The dinner became a popular event in South Georgia and has introduced the school to new people.

The dinner fundraiser has helped the school build a new middle school and high school, Lawson and Warren said.

The Georgia Christian School banquet is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the Valdosta State University Student Union Ballroom.

More information: Visit www.georgiachristian.org. Sponsorships often sell out the GCS banquet prior to individual tickets being sold.