In addition to being named honorary chair, the Greensboro Sports Council honored Betts with its MVP Award. Starting in 2025, AAR Invitational men’s and women’s most valuable players will receive the Jim Betts MVP Trophy.

“I think he would be thrilled and super pleased to be recognized for his contributions,” Charles Betts said. “He was a member for a long, long time – maybe 50 or 60 years. He was committed to the organization and volunteered right up into his 80s. When he was able, he would get out on the court during the halftime shootouts or hand out programs at the entrance. He really had a love for the Sports Council and all the work it does in the community.

“I think he’d be thrilled that we’ve been able to keep alive a local marquee event for not only the kids but also the community to enjoy. This event has created a lot of good, fun, lasting memories for the kids that played in it over the years, and I think he would be super pleased and honored that he’s been recognized for his contributions. I feel really good about the energy going into this basketball tournament right now, and he would, too.”

Betts was president of the Greensboro Sports Council and a chairman of the AAR Invitational, chairman of the Wyndham Championship, and a life member of the Greensboro Jaycees, which honored him with the Roy Cary Award. He was a co-chairman of both the Southern Conference Soccer Championship and the ACC Golf Championship. He served as a director and vice chairman of the Central YMCA and is a past chairman of the Bryan Park Golf Commission.

Betts attended N.C. State University where he was a member of the Varsity Wolfpack Club and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He owned E.K. Williams Company of North Carolina for 36 years before a successful switch to financial services. He retired from Merrill Lynch.