Those who attended the eighth Outstanding Civic Leadership Event on Tuesday night were seeing red -- a lot of it.
Tommy Free loves the Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Hogs were the theme for the event to honor him.
Friends and family talked about his passion for the Razorbacks while surrounded by a sea of red and white inside of The Cypress Barn.
They laughed a lot, cried a little and enjoyed a barbecue dinner in the roast and toast event hosted by Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce.
Physician George Benjamin recalled how enthusiastic of a Razorback fan he was when sitting at Free's left side during Razorback basketball games.
When Free saw a bad call or when something wasn't called in a game, he made sure Benjamin knew about it by giving him an elbow and telling him about it.
"If you're sitting on his left side, don't have any popcorn," Benjamin joked.
Dentist Greg Walters was excited to call the Hogs while hand-in-hand with emcee Randy Torres, an avid Texas A&M fan, and Free. Nearly everyone joined in the Hog Call and yelled, "Woo Pig Sooie."
Walters talked about when he and Free played golf with Kid Rock. Walters joked that before they finished playing Free asked if Kid Rock wanted a savings account.
Wenona Studards, who has worked in banking with Free for 38 years, said he would always ask her for people's phone numbers. After a medical procedure, she recalled waking up from the anesthesia to the sound of her husband's voice telling Free to call back later for a number he needed.
Studards started to choke up when she explained that Free would often take her father to games. "He has a big heart," she said.
Free's daughter, Jamey Free Sims, said he would do anything to get an autograph of a Razorback player. They would often wait outside Barnhill Arena or go up to a player when he spotted them at restaurant.
She said Free tells her all the time that he loves her, and that's her favorite saying.
His son, Matt, joked that his father had an imaginary friend named Larry Davis, who he would always talk about but who never paid his bills. He also gave Free a hard time for paying people to do his work while on a mission trip.
Free's son, Kendyal, explained how Free has "meant the world to us. He is truly my hero," he said. "Thank you dad."
Free was "very humbled by this award." He said he heard a lot of stories Tuesday night, but only some were true.
Free clarified some of them, including the one about paying others to complete work during a mission trip. He said he put pipe in the ground and built a bathroom while on the trip.
"I want to thank my family for all the support they've given me all these years," he said. "Siloam Springs is an outstanding community. You couldn't find a better place to raise a family."
Free is senior vice president of business development at Centennial Bank. He's worked in banking for 51 years. He started his career in Crossett, Ark. He worked at banks in Monticello and ran a small community bank before moving to Siloam Springs in 1976. Here, he's worked for Arkansas State Bank, Liberty Bank and Centennial Bank. He graduated from the University of Arkansas and LSU School of Banking of the South.
Free and his wife, Becky, have three children and three grandchildren.
General News on 10/18/2015