WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV (WVNS) — Actress Jennifer Garner will be delivering the keynote address at the 2024 GameChanger Prevention Education Dinner and Golf Classic in May.

According to a press release, the Mountain State-raised actress will kickoff the fourth annual GameChanger event happening from May 22 to May 23, 2024, at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs. Garner’s name is added to the list of past West Virginians to deliver the address like Nick Saban and Brad Paisley.

While she was born in Texas, Jennifer Garner was raised in Charleston, West Virginia, where she graduated from George Washington High School. She went on to study theatre at Denison University. Her acting career boasts roles in movies like “13 Going On 30”, “Dude, Where’s My Car?”, “Juno”, and most recently, Netflix’s “Family Switch”, among many more.

The annual GameChanger Prevention Education Dinner and Golf Classic raises money for different GameChanger programs across West Virginia school systems.

“This is just another example of a West Virginian who has achieved greatness remembering where they came from and proving it by coming back to help a worthy cause in the state,” said West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, GameChanger head coach. “Jennifer is a talented artist who emanates class, and I am thrilled she has agreed to come to this year’s event.”

When it comes to philanthropy, Garner is no stranger to helping others.

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She is a trustee of the Save the Children organization and has been with them since 2008. She went on to join their Board of Trustees in 2014. Three years later, Garner co-founded Once Upon a Farm, a childhood nutrition company.

Founder and Executive Director of the GameChanger Program, Joe Boczek said he is excited that Jennifer Garner will be the one delivering this year’s address.

“Jennifer’s love and care for children is evidenced by the time and dedication she spends working and serving on the board of trustees for Save The Children,” said Joe Boczek, GameChanger Founder and Executive Director. “She is aware of how opioid and substance misuse and the deadly Fentanyl scourge are killing our kids and destroying our communities. Her willingness to travel across the country to be with us for one event speaks not only to how much she cares about her home state, but more importantly, to the kind of person she is.”

West Virginia’s GameChanger Program is currently being used in more than 50 schools across 18 counties, and officials say they plan to include more West Virginia schools and expand into both Kentucky and Tennessee in the future. GameChanger is a way for peers to talk with each other and help one another live drug-free lifestyles, which is extremely important considering the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.

“Prevention education is really the only way to keep our kids drug-free and, quite frankly, to save their lives. This effort requires resources, but if GameChanger saves the life of one child, it is well worth it,” said Larry Puccio, chairman of the GameChanger Board

Tickets for the 2024 GameChanger Prevention Education Dinner and Golf Classic can be purchased on their website . More information about the GameChanger program can also be found on their website .

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