Hosts Will and Katie Jones with special guest, Phillip Fulmer
Bands, from left, Cleveland High, Bradley Central and Walker Valley High Schools with pavilion and guests in background
Bands preparing to take the field
Creekridge Pavilion with guests
Coach Fulmer and granddaughter Natalie directing "Rocky Top"
Coach Fulmer speaking to guests
President Nancy Blank and VP David Beckler
Cleveland Vice Mayor Avery Johnson and wife Lola
Janie Jones (property owner) and Peggy Pesterfield (CCS BOE member)
Guests enjoying evening including David Beckler, BCS COS Linda Cash and ED Voelz Lynn Voelz, Executive Director
Vision 100, the annual major giving reception for Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation, was held at the Creekridge Pavilion. It was a "resounding success", according to Dr. Nancy Blank.
Dr. Blank is the Board president of the Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting innovative academic education in the Bradley County and Cleveland City Schools. BCPEF is in turn supported by donors who were guests at the Vision 100 reception.
Hundreds of guests at the event celebrated the importance and impact of local public education. The evening was hosted by the Foundation’s Executive Committee and Will and Katie Jones.
Creekridge, the private property of the Allan Jones family, provided a spectacular venue. Boasting a full-sized football field, it permitted the three local high school bands to entertain the guests performing a series of tunes.
Public education was further celebrated with the addition of special guest, Coach Phillip Fulmer, University of Tennessee’s famed football coach and retired athletic director. After leading the bands in a group performance of “Rocky Top” he stressed the importance of public education. “Both my children and I are products of public education which is the backbone and future of our country,” Coach Fulmer said.
The Foundation’s President Nancy Blank and Vice President David Beckler emphasized the critical importance of private investment in public education. Foundation past president Matt Bentley told the guests, “Public education is worth your investment. It singularly impacts the future of both our youth and our community and is essential to a vibrant and prosperous community.” Guests were encouraged to support Cleveland City and Bradley County Schools through ‘Visionary’ giving.
Lynn Voelz, BCPEF’s executive director, said the event was a major success. She emphasized “the student performances were the focal point of the evening,” adding, “the venue was fantastic, the band performance stellar, the guests pleased to be present. The band students were excited to perform and enjoyed the opportunity to show ‘their best stuff.’ Not to be outdone by the bands and Coach Fulmer, the message of the evening was clear: public education is critically important to a safe, healthy and productive community and our two local school systems are worthy to be supported with private dollars.” She added that the invitation to support the local public schools was met by the guests “with generosity.”
First Horizon Foundation and Bank of Cleveland financed the reception and the participation of the Cleveland High School, Bradley Central High School and Walker Valley High School bands.
Information is available about the Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation on its website at www.bcpef.org. Contributions can be made online or by calling the Foundation’s office at 476-0034.