The Achiever Award is alive and well and ready to celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2007.

That's the word from Amanda Phillips and the rest of the Achiever Award Committee.

The group is busy planning for next year's event, slated for May 3, 2007 at the Family Life Center of First Baptist Church in Greenville.

The award and accompanying college scholarship is patterned after the Hitchcock Award in Montgomery. The Butler County Achiever Award is given each spring to one outstanding male, and one outstanding female, high school senior.

Those nominated come from very high school in Butler County.

The students represent the best in athletics, academics and Christian and community service from their respective schools.

&#8220We are excited to see our tenth year coming up, and we want to make this an extra-special year for everyone involved,” Phillips said.

One of the biggest priorities for the committee: to lock in an outstanding speaker for the May 3, 2007 banquet.

Auburn's Tommy Tubberville and Jimmy Raines of &#8220YellaWood” fame were among those mentioned as possible speakers. Committee members hope to have a speaker in place by the December committee meeting.

They also plan to meet with any new coaches and principals in the county to give them a &#8220heads-up” on the program.

All past Achiever Award members will also get a special invitation to attend the 2007 banquet.

Solicitation letters will go out to past supporters in early 2007.

&#8220We appreciate all those who have supported us in the past and we look forward to an even bigger and better year in 2007,” Phillips said.

Committee member Jim Dunklin said, &#8220The Achiever Award just keeps growing each year. As more and more people come through the program and attend the banquet, they fall in love with it.”

For more information about the 2007 Achiever Award program, contact Amanda Phillips of the Greenville YMCA at 382-0550.