YMCA Spirit, Mind and Body Award Presented to Columbia Attorney

May 13, 2010

(Columbia, S.C.)—At its annual celebratory Chairman’s Round Table Luncheon held May 5th at The Summit Club in Downtown Columbia, the YMCA of Columbia presented the 2010 Spirit, Mind and Body Award to attorney Ron Tryon, managing partner of the Columbia office of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP.

As explained by Columbia YMCA President Mike Thacker, who made the presentation, the Spirit, Mind and Body Award is presented to a Columbia community leader who consistently seeks to enhance the lives of individuals, families, and the community by placing service to children as one’s highest priority.

Among the examples of Tryon’s community service cited by Thacker during the presentation were Tryon’s 15 years as an active Rotarian, where he has served in leadership positions at both the club and district level promoting opportunities and support for children, and his service as a volunteer coach of various sports teams in the area’s youth programs.

Also mentioned was Tryon’s long-standing tenure as president of South Carolina United FC, which is South Carolina’s largest non-profit youth soccer club. The club has more than 4,700 children, between ages three and 18, who participate in programs ranging from the Striker’s Special Needs Program to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for aspiring U.S. Men’s National Team players. Tryon has seven years of service as organizer and delegation leader of the club’s annual International Youth Soccer Cultural Exchange Program, which brings together teenagers of South Carolina and its sister state of Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany, for ten days to create cross-cultural friendships and understanding through soccer.

Tryon is an active member of South Carolina’s YMCA Public Policy State Alliance and is the organization’s incoming president. It was also highlighted that his plans for 2010-2011 are to place diabetes prevention at the forefront of the Alliance’s agenda.

As stated by Thacker, “Ron’s vision, expanding upon his personal mission of helping to make each child’s life better and happier, is to now make each child’s life healthier by placing the Alliance’s focus on implementing practices and policies amongst the YMCAs to start reducing childhood obesity and thereby help curb diabetes.”

About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has 225 lawyers in six offices located in major markets across North Carolina and South Carolina. The Firm provides legal counsel to large commercial and public organizations on litigation, corporate and regulatory matters. It is recognized in recent years as one of the fastest growing law firms in the United States and as an award-winning leader in the use of technology to provide better and more efficient service to domestic and international clients.