NightinGala and Nurse Hero Awards
The 10th NightinGala and Nurse Hero Awards, featuring Nurse Blake on May 8, was a success with more than 300 people in attendance! The event marked a decade of honoring nurses in the Mid-South.
Five nurses representing different health care organizations received recognition for their extraordinary contributions. Nurses from Baptist Memorial Health Care and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare tied for the Bedside Nurse Hero Award. A nurse practitioner from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received the Advanced Practice Nurse Hero Award, and a Regional One Health nursing director was recognized with the Executive Nurse Leader Hero award. Leatriece Franklin, MHA, MSN, RN, received the 2026 Dr. John W. Runyan, Jr., Community Nursing Award in recognition of her community outreach.
The event was again emceed by WMC News Channel 5 anchor Joe Birch and was the most successful NightinGala on record in Memphis with 11 sponsoring organizations and a sold-out silent auction.
News Story and PhotosCelebrating Nursing in the Mid-South
The 10th NightinGala was held at the beautiful FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms.
Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, presents the John W. Runyan Jr. Community Nursing Award to Leatriece Franklin, MHA, MSN, RN.