Each year, the Tocqueville Society, a prestigious group of local business and civic leaders who contribute at least $10,000 annually to United Way, honors a member who exemplifies the ideals of generosity and service.  This year, the Tocqueville Society will honor for the first time an organization, The New Orleans Saints at a celebration on November 12th at the Sugar Mill.

The event, honoring Champions of the New Orleans Community, will also confer the Alexis de Tocqueville Award upon Mr. and Mrs. Tom Benson and Saints Players Jeff Faine, Deuce McAllister, and Mark Simoneau for their outstanding and generous contributions to the New Orleans community.

A silent auction will feature the following prizes:

• A trip to the 2008 Saints vs. Falcons game in Atlanta which includes plane tickets courtesy of Delta Airlines, a stay at the team hotel, game tickets, and pre-game field passes
• Dinner for Ten at Emeril’s Restaurant with wine pairings in the wine room (a $1000+ value)
• Two weekend Jazz Fest Package which includes Big Chief passes, transportation and Shell hospitality suite ($1000+ value) 
• A two-night stay at the Windsor Court Hotel plus a New Orleans Grill Dinner & Brunch
• A Louis Vuitton bag from Saks (a $900 value)
• A two-nights stay at the Beau Rivage plus dinner and a show
• Dinner at Riche (Harrah’s)
• Plus more!!

Additionally, a gold and black Custom-Painted 2007 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Touring motorcycle signed by the 2006 New Orleans Saints will be displayed at the Tocqueville event.  The motorcycle, donated from the New Orleans Saints to United Way, will be available for bidding on E-Bay from Friday, November 2nd until Monday, November 12th at midnight. 

Event coordinators would like to thank the following Sponsors as of October 23rd: Energy Partners, Ltd., Capitol One, Adams & Reese, Coaxum Enterprises, Tribune Television, Jesse Dotey Youth Dev. Center Strike II Ministries, Liberty Bank, Shell, Alex Gershanik (only buying tickets) , Jones Walker, Harrah’s, Regions Bank, Billy Nungesser -  Plaquemines Parish President, Northrop Grumman, Ochsner, Mike and Kim Sport, Pan American, Whitney National Bank, Carol Wise, Lockheed Martin, Alden “Doc” Laborde, and First Bank & Trust.

United Way’s Tocqueville Society is named for Alexis Charles-Henri Clerel de Tocqueville, author of Democracy in America (2 volumes, 1835 and 1840), who observed, "…Americans make great and real sacrifices to the public welfare; and I have noticed a hundred instances in which they hardly ever failed to lend faithful support to one another."

For more information and tickets, please call 504-293-2647, e-mail Champions@unitedwaynola.org or order online here.