The Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation inaugurated the annual “Commitment to Justice” Award Reception in the spring of 2011 by honoring Judge Richard E. Fields with its first award. The event has since attracted 200-250 guests each year to honor recipients, including: Judge Alex Sanders, Dr. Theodore S. Stern, Ret. Chief Justice Ernest A. Finney, Jr., Honorable Lucille S. Whipper, Ret. Chief Justice Jean H. Toal, Rev. McKinley Washington, Jr., Judge Bernard Fielding and Armand Derfner, Esq., Christine Osburn Jackson, Dr. Millicent E. Brown, Rev. Nelson B. Rivers III, and David Dennis Sr.
The event runs from 5:30 to 8:00PM and consist of 2 parts. There's an hour cocktail reception with live music (small jazz ensemble), silent auction, and an hour long program following. There is a full bar with assortments, passed hot h’oeuvres during the cocktail hour.
The focus of the 1-hour program is to have speakers who talk personally about their relationship with the honoree. It is about evoking the true spirit and humanity of the honoree through personal story-telling. It is unique from other award nights which can be quite impersonall. This event is a true celebration of the honoree’s life and often feels like a big extended family that has come together to show their love and admiration for the honoree.
In 2022, the Commitment to Justice award was named in honor of Danielle Hope Watson. Hope began working with the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation in 2014 as an outreach coordinator. Hope’s personality, and the relationships she developed as an outreach coordinator, and her knowledge of the law helped her transition easily to become a staff attorney with the Center. She became a formidable attorney providing legal education, advice and counsel, and extended legal services to heirs’ property owners access our service area. Unfortunately Hope left us way too early and passed away in 2021. The Center will always remember their dynamic colleague and friend who left a lasting mark on the organization and helped shape its development during her tenure. Hope’s passion and commitment to justice and protecting family land for families was unwavering.
The purpose of the event is three-fold:
1) To honor a remarkable humanitarian and standard bearer of justice from South Carolina.
2) To raise awareness about the Center.
3) To raise funds to support the Center’s work.
Interested sponsors and donors can reach out at the button on the bottom of the page or contact Brett Wadford by phone at 843.745.7055 or email bwadford@heirsproperty.org