Press Releases
Dick Riley Named 2011 Green Day Honoree
The Greenville Drive will mark the city's 180th birthday on Tuesday, Aug. 16, with its sixth annual Green Day celebration at Fluor Field at the West End for the 7:05 p.m. game against the Rome Braves.
Drive players will pay tribute to the City by wearing special green uniforms and caps, and fans are encouraged to create a "green out" by sporting green as well. The first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive a free Green Day T-shirt and everyone can enjoy specials on green beer and soft drinks throughout the evening, as well as other fun promotions that will be going on inside the stadium. 
As in years past, Green Day will pay tribute to a specific individual who has helped make Greenville and the surrounding community the dynamic area it has become. This year's honoree is Richard Riley, a Greenville native and former South Carolina governor (1979-87) and U.S secretary of education (1993-2001).
Drive president and co-owner Craig Brown commented on Riley's selection, saying "Dick Riley has long been known as a champion of South Carolina, where he served 2 terms as governor, and of educational reform, demonstrated most notably during his 2 terms as Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton," "Though soft-spoken, Secretary Riley's tenacity and will for improving our children's educational system over the past half century speak volumes about his legacy."
"Though never seeking the spotlight," added Brown, "Secretary Riley's well-deserved reputation as a decent and honorable public servant makes Greenville proud to call him its own. We hope the entire Upstate community will put on their green, come down to Fluor Field and join us in saluting him during Green Day on Aug. 16."
Secretary Riley joins an illustrious group of previous Green Day honorees including former Greenville Mayor Max Heller and his wife, Trudy; Greenville City Councilwoman Lillian Brock Flemming and Greenville County Councilwoman Xanthene Norris; former Greenville Technical College President Dr. Tom Barton; businessman and philanthropist C. Dan Joyner; and last year's honoree, civic leader, judge and attorney Merl Code.
Great seats are still available to help celebrate Green Day with the Drive at the Aug. 16 game against the Rome (Ga.) Braves. Greenville City and County employees will receive a special discount on Green Day game tickets. General Admission tickets start at just $5. For more information, visit www.greenvilledrive.com.
About Dick Riley
Dick Riley was born in Greenville in 1933. He served in the U.S Navy (1954-55) after earning his undergraduate degree from Furman University. Riley is the former U. S. secretary of education (1993-2001) under President Clinton and was the 111th governor of South Carolina (1979-1987). He has three colleges named after him: the Richard W. Riley College of Education at Winthrop University; the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University, his wife's alma-mater, in Naples, Fla.; and the Richard W. Riley Institute at Furman University, where he serves as a distinguished professor of government, politics, and public leadership. He is also a distinguished professor of education at the University of South Carolina. Secretary Riley graduated cum laude in political science from Furman in 1954 and received his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1959. In 2008, Riley was named one of the Top 10 Cabinet Members of the 20th Century by Time Magazine. Secretary Riley currently is a senior partner in the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough and its affiliate, EducationCounsel, with offices in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Boston, Chicago, Tallahassee, Fla., and Washington, D.C. Secretary Riley was married for 51 years to his wife, Ann, before her death in 2008. He has four children and 14 grandchildren.
