Alexandria’s former sheriff and a retired principal from Alexandria City High School will be honored during a gala hosted by the Center for Alexandria’s Children this winter.
Retired sheriff Dana Lawhorne will receive CAC’s Champion for Children Award, while longtime educator John Porter will receive the Outstanding Dedication to Children Award at the nonprofit’s benefit concert in February.
“Dana and John represent the very best of Alexandria,” CAC Board Chair Melissa Riddy said. “Their work has touched generations of families and built the foundation for a stronger, more compassionate community. We are thrilled to honor them for their service and heart.”
Lawhorne spent 27 years as an Alexandria police officer and detective before serving as the city sheriff from 2006 to 2021. Porter retired from Alexandria City Public Schools in 2009 after a 22-year run as ACHS principal and over 20 years as a teacher.
“Honoring Dana and John feels especially meaningful because their work has shaped the very spirit of collaboration that defines Alexandria,” CAC Executive Director Terri Cheshire said. “They remind us that protecting children is not a job for one person or one agency. It belongs to all of us.”
Tickets for the gala, called Banding Together: A Benefit Concert to End Child Abuse, will be available closer to the event date, Feb. 21. It will take place at the Oswald Durant Center, 1605 Cameron Street.
This isn’t the first time that Lawhorne and Porter have shared the spotlight. In 2023, they were grand marshals of the Alexandria Turkey Trot.
