PRSA Buffalo Niagara hosts 25th annual Excalibur Awards

Broadway has the Tony's, Hollywood has Oscar and Emmy, and Buffalo has the Excalibur. King Arthur's legendary sword symbolizes outstanding achievement in the practice of professional public relations.

Among the major awards to be handed out at the 25th annual Excalibur Awards Wednesday, June 25, are the Outstanding Executive Award to Kenneth P. Houseknecht, APR, executive director of Mental Health Association of Erie County Inc.; the May C. Randazzo Outstanding Practitioner Award to Rose Caldwell, director of communications and public relations at Catholic Charities of Buffalo; the Board of Directors' Distinguished Service Award to Tom Lucia; and the Rising Star Award to Phillip Weiss, assistant director of development at Alzheimer's Association, WNY Chapter.

Students Jordyn Holka and Lauren Orlowski, both from the State University of New York at Fredonia, are the recipients of the chapter's May C. Randazzo Memorial Scholarship, and 31 Gold, Silver and Bronze awards will be presented.

Autumn Lewandowski, meteorologist at WKBW, will serve as the emcee for the evening.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at Buffalo Iron Works, 49 Illinois St., Buffalo.

PRSA is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals with more than 21,000 members globally. The Buffalo Niagara chapter, founded in 1963, boasts more than 190 members representing all areas of business and industry, including corporate, nonprofit, government, counseling firms, educational institutions and professional service firms.

Sponsors of the PRSA Buffalo Niagara Chapter include Eric Mower and Associates, Univera Healthcare and PR Newswire.