DALTON, Ga. — Growing up in a single-parent home, Chuck Harris said he knows what it is like to go through tough times.

“When you go through things, and then you see other people go through hard things, especially children, you really want to reach out to them,” he said. “That’s why I’ve done so much with athletes over the years because right here in this town there were people who reached out to me and helped me. When you’ve been helped, that makes you want to help others.”

Thursday night at The Farm, friends, family members and local dignitaries came together to honor Harris for his work in the community, especially with children, as the Family Support Council’s 29th “Toast of the Town” honoree.

“You never feel like you deserve something like this. It’s an honor, but the biggest thing is that it supports the Family Support Council,” Harris said.

The Family Support Council focuses on preventing child abuse and neglect in Whitfield and Murray counties. Among other services, it provides residential services and life skills coaching to teen mothers, advocacy services for abused and neglected children, support groups and other activities for grandparents raising grandchildren, and parenting classes.

“We served over 16,000 people in 2017,” said Family Support Council Executive Director Holly Rice.

Karen Townsend, fundraising chair for the Family Support Council, said Toast of the Town is the agency’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

“We look for someone who has made an impact on the community, who is widely respected,” she said. “And that’s exactly what Chuck is. He has given so much time and made a difference in so many people’s lives.”

A native of Dalton, Harris was a four-year letterman in football at Dalton High School. He attended the University of Georgia on a football scholarship, where he played in the 1975 Cotton Bowl and was on the 1976 SEC championship team. He earned his master’s of divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and became a pastor.

Harris returned to Dalton in 1992 as the state director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

From 1995 through 2001, Harris was a teacher and athletic director at Christian Heritage School. But he remained involved with FCA.

In 2000, Harris became the minister at Christ Community Church. He has been chaplain of the Dalton High School football team since 1992.

Ronnie McClurg was one of Harris’ coaches in high school.

“I’ve been friends with Chuck for a long time, and I’ve seen him grow into a great role model and a great mentor,” McClurg said. “He’s been very involved and very supportive with FCA. In middle school and high school, you aren’t mature enough to always make the right decisions. But Chuck has influenced so many young people to make the right decisions. He’s done that with his words. But he’s also done it by being an example.”

Harris said he is most glad that the evening benefited a worthy cause in the Family Support Council.

“We live in a town that is very supportive. A lot of money is given to the right places and organizations. I was born and raised here, and I’m very proud of this community,” he said.