Gill honored for CF fundraising

A Siloam Springs graduate was honored with a Cyr Lawson Award for his fundraising efforts within the Northwest Arkansas community.

Tyler Gill, 31, was recognized at the inaugural Weekend with the Finest golf tournament and fashion show for raising more than $34,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

"I am truly honored and humbled to be this year's recipient of the Cyr Lawson Award," Gill said. "I certainly could not have achieved this without the help of my family, friends, and many colleagues in the NWA community."

He was nominated by a friend and former co-worker as one of the finest young professionals in Northwest Arkansas. The honorees were selected based on age, leadership qualities, volunteer roles and their involvement in the community.

Gill was one of 30 honorees who helped raise more than $320,000 for the foundation, which is a record for Arkansas.

"They did an incredible job at breaking records for the Weekend With The Finest," said Diane Byrum, development director for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "The total weekend raised $323,500."

Gill broke records with the single most money raised for the foundation in Arkansas, Byrum said.

He reached out to everyone he knew on a professional level, which he said was beneficial to his success.

"It was a challenge because I was not involved in corporate fundraising before this," Gill said. "I have a lot of client contacts so I had a good base to start with."

Though the experience was a challenge, he said it doesn't compare to the challenge people with Cystic Fibrosis live with.

"I can tell you that the fight and the grind that our group went through to raise money and the challenges that many of us face each day pale in comparison to the daily fight that those living with Cystic Fibrosis are battling," Gill said.