Sutherland Institute sets awards banquet

The Sutherland Institute, a conservative public policy think tank, will hold its 2007 Legacy Awards Banquet on Thursday at the Rice-Eccles Stadium and Towers at the University of Utah.

The event, which starts at 7 p.m., will honor community leaders in Utah for their efforts to promote charity, family, faith and freedom.

The honorees include Stan and Mary Ellen Smoot, who will receive the Legacy Award for their lifetime commitment to service; Khosrow Semnani, who will receive the Charity Award for his generosity on behalf of the Maliheh Free Clinic; and the Conservative Caucus, which will receive the Family Award for its work at the Utah Legislature to promote support for families.

More than 200 elected officials and community leaders are expected to attend the banquet, an ongoing effort by Sutherland to recognize individuals who have taken private initiative to make Utah a better place.