The 6th Annual Awards of Excellence Gala 2009 was held on May 21st, at the Intercontinental Hotel, and again proved to be a big success. With the theme of "paying it forward," the evening's master of ceremonies, Mike Reilly of Reilly Communications, gave a warm and welcoming opening speech, before introducing the newest award: the "Mulligan," in honor of the past year's many public figures who wish they had a do-over! "Winston Churchill once said, 'If you're going through Hell, keep going!' Our industry has done exactly that over the past year or so. One of the things that keeps us going is the strength and loyalty of our friends, clients and association colleagues. Whether it's help landing a crucial next project, or finding a new job after a layoff, the IFMA network and all of you are proving the baseline value of why we come together. So thanks to each of you who are paying it forward in big and small ways," said Reilly.