Michael McGee Wins 2009 Dickies American Worker of the Year® Title

By Courtesy of Business Wire
Posted Saturday, October 31, 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dickies®, the innovative work and lifestyle apparel brand, proudly announces Michael McGee, an agricultural teacher and horse training business owner, as the 2009 Dickies American Worker of the Year®.

During intermission at the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 30, McGee was named out of thousands of candidates and from among a pool of six finalists as Dickies American Worker of the Year. As the grand prize winner, he receives $50,000 and an all-access, VIP trip for two to the Dickies 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ race being held November 6-9, 2009. At the race, McGee will have a chance to turn his $50,000 winnings into $1,000,000 by randomly selecting one of the 12 Chase drivers to win the Dickies 500. If the driver McGee chooses takes the checkered flag at the Dickies 500, McGee will go home with $1,000,000.

“We are proud to honor a hardworking individual like Michael McGee as the 2009 Dickies American Worker of the Year. His motivation and work ethic, particularly at his age, are inspiring and uplifting to the working community and his peers,” said Misty Otto, public relations director for Dickies. “We hope he’ll be holding a big check in Victory Lane at the Dickies 500 next weekend.”

McGee not only believes in the American dream, he embodies it. The high school valedictorian put himself through college via scholarships and hard work. At the young age of 23, McGee purchased his own home and a 41-acre farm, where he maintains his horse training business. In addition to his business, McGee works full-time as a teacher for 200 students, which often includes nights, weekends and summers to support the school’s agricultural program. McGee is a passionate outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast who is devoted to teaching and supporting his students. He loves being a teacher because it allows him to change lives and help his students realize their full potential. Michael’s lifelong dream is to one day ride horses competitively on a national level.

“I feel so fortunate to be recognized by Dickies out of all the hard working men and women in this country. Hopefully this will gain some attention for agricultural farmers across the country and remind everyone of the industry’s importance to our nation. It’s great Dickies supports that,” said Michael McGee. “I want to tell everyone no matter who you are or where you come from, through hard work and determination, you can accomplish anything.”

McGee was chosen as one of the American Worker of the Year promotion’s six regional finalists on Sept. 8. The regional finalists each received a weekend trip for two to Las Vegas to the PBR World Finals, where the grand prize winner announcement was made. Each of the five remaining regional winners received $10,000. McGee will randomly select one of the 12 Chase drivers at a press conference held on Saturday, November 7th at Texas Motor Speedway’s media center.

For the past 17 years, Dickies has supported and honored hard-working men and women with the American Worker of the Year contest. This contest honors exceptional worker in fields often overlooked in today’s society – farmers, builders, mechanics, teachers, roughnecks, electrical lineman and soldiers, among others. These devoted individuals personify and embody the iconic Dickies brand and reveal what it really means to be an American worker.