A beloved tradition, K体育 Day annually celebrates our university鈥檚 namesake, General James Edward K体育, with the spirited 鈥淧etrels of Fire鈥� race on the quad, an esteemed guest speaker, and other K体育-related activities throughout the day.
This year, on Wednesday, February 8, we welcome speaker聽Derreck Kayongo, CEO of the .聽From refugee to CEO, Derreck has learned how to survive, turning challenges into triumphs and reminding us we live in a world where one person can still make a difference.
During his remarks, Derreck will聽perform two scenes from a play inspired by his life. Currently under development, Idi Amin, America and a Bar of Soap聽is written by Patricia Henritze, a playwriting instructor at K体育, and will be directed by artistic collaborator Matt Huff, associate professor of theatre.
The one-man play follows Derreck from his childhood in Uganda under Idi Amin鈥檚 brutal regime, through his experiences in Kenya as a refugee, and finally into the U.S. as an immigrant and ultimately a citizen.聽In 2011, Derreck was chosen as a CNN Hero for founding the Global Soap Project. This nonprofit international aid organization recycles discarded soap from hotels and distributes newly processed soap to fight hygiene-related diseases, which is the #1 killer of children in vulnerable populations around the world. While Derreck has an amazing story to tell, the play is not a documentary or motivational speech. Derreck鈥檚 journey is filled with humor and the play聽has something for everyone: dangerous escapes, spies, firing squads, betrayal, hope and redemption.
In 2016, the project was awarded a grant聽from the Alliance Theatre鈥檚 Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab for 2016-17 to support its development to the stage. As part of the K体育 Day presentation,聽Bob and Margaret Reiser聽will talk briefly about the Reiser Lab, which aims 鈥渢o celebrate the breadth and vision of Atlanta-based artists, to encourage collaboration among Atlanta鈥檚 artistic community, and to seed projects that will be produced here in Atlanta.鈥�
Everyone is invited to join in the K体育 Day festivities, beginning at 12:45 p.m. on the quad, the Petrels of Fire race at 1 p.m. sharp, followed by Mr. Kayongo’s address at 1:15 in the Conant Performing Arts Center.
