Special Friends

Academy of Country Music
Charitable Foundation

Board members and staff of the ACM Charitable Foundation, located in Burbank, California, honored TSB with a personal visit and presented a $20,000 check to benefit the school's music programs. The ACM Foundation is committed to supporting and embracing programs dedicated to music awareness, growth and education.

Pictured at the presentation of the donation to Friends of TSB are:
(L-R) Gayle Holcomb, ACM Chairman of the Board;
Phil Vassar ACM Board member & Arista Recording artist;
Bob Romero, ACM Exec. Director; Jim Oldham, TSB Superintendent;
and Frank De Priest, President of Friends of TSB.

Bob Parks Realty
Mt. Juliet/Hermitage Office

   In Dec. 2009, the Mt. Juliet/Hermitage Office of Bob Parks Realty sponsored the 9th Annual Brunch and Bid Fundraiser to support the Friends of TN School for the Blind Foundation.
   The proceeds of $12,650 from the 10th Anniversary of this successful event brought the total amount raised by Bob Parks realty to $125,500 to benefit students at the Tennessee School for the Blind.
   Members of the Board of Directors of Friends of TSB are thankful and greatly honored to be Partners In Education with Bob Parks and Bob Parks Realty.

Students Sitting (L-R) Alisha Geary, Maria Weeks, Brianna Rucker, Elizabeth Harris
Students Standing (L-R) Marquelan Hudson, Adam Carpenter, Brandon Peters
Adults (L-R) Susan Tant, Pat Galvin, Debra Capps, Michele Friedrichsen, Jim Oldham, Mary Bacon, Sue Glore, Craig Newby, Ralph Brewer, Ginger Bell

The Cracker Barrel Foundation

The Cracker Barrel Foundation supports programs that strengthen and preserve the community. In recognition of the efforts Friends of TSB is making to provide opportunities for students by empowering them with the necessary knowledge and skills to become self-reliant and contributing citizens, in April, 2010, Cracker Barrel Foundation made a generous and greatly appreciated donation to help fund Friends' efforts to purchase adaptive bicycles that will be used physical therapy and recreation. This marks the fifth time that Friends has been awarded a grant from Cracker Barrel Foundation.

For more information about Cracker Barrel Foundation, please visit their website at http://www.cbrlgroup.com/foundation.cfm#education.

Dollar General Corporation

Dollar General Corporation, with stores in more than 30 states, has in its mission statement a commitment to serving others to include community support. Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards some 2.6 million dollars annually to help organizations such as Friends to further the cause of literacy and basic education. In September, 2009, Friends of Tennessee School for the Blind was most honored to have been awarded a third Dollar General grant. The most recent grant will enable Friends to purchase supplies for the school library.

For more information about the good works being done by Dollar General Corporation, please visit their website at http://dollargeneral.com

Gibson Foundation

The Gibson Foundation was established to support programs that encourage the study and pursuit of excellence in music. Both Gibson Guitar Corp., and its subsidiary company, Baldwin Piano, have a 100 year plus tradition in this mission, and it was their support of the TSB Music Program, through Friends of TSB Foundation, that made possible the addition of 5 new Baldwin pianos for use in the many levels of music programs, education, and performance opportunities provided to the students at TSB.

Louis R. Draughon Foundation

The Louis R. Draughon Foundation has been a special friend to TSB for many years. Most all of the CCTV’s in the school were purchased with grant monies from The Draughon Foundation. In 2007 a grant in the amount of $7,000 was received that will provide 5 Braille + Mobile Manager devices for the students at TSB. These "high tech" devices will enable students using large print or braille to acquire knowledge from the written page, to access the internet, and to manage activities of daily living.

There is a strong connection between TSB and the Louis R. Draughon family: Susan Jayne Gwinn, a graduate of TSB, is the granddaughter of Mrs. Jeanette Dorris, a Board Member of the Louis R. Draughon Foundation. Mrs. Dorris is a blood sister of Mrs. Elizabeth Draughon, founder of the organization. Susan’s mother, Elizabeth Dorris Gwinn, is the niece and namesake of Mrs. Elizabeth Draughon.

Ralph Brewer, President of Friends (Second from Left) is show presenting a plaque to Phillip Barnett, President of Murfreesboro Breakfast Rotary Club, expressing appreciation for the club's work in sponsoring the 2008 Golf Tournament. Others in the picture are Jim Oldham (L) Supt. of TSB; Andy Joiner (second from Right), TSB Teacher; and, Tracy Wilkins (R), Director of Old Fort Golf Course.

Nashville Predators Foundation

For the sixth time in as many years the Nashville Predators Foundation presented Friends of TSB with a grant to assist with financing a project to purchase sophisticated therapeutic bicycles for the students to be used in physical therapy and recreation. TSB students also benefit annually from the Predators Community Relations Program "Give & Go," which provides free tickets for students to attend home hockey games. Since 1998, the Predators Foundation has awarded in excess of $2.5 million in financial grants to Nashville and Middle Tennessee community service and charitable organizations. Between the grants and other charitable donations, such as player ticket programs and fundraising efforts, the Foundation put more than $500,000 back into the community during the 2009-2010 season. You can read more about the work of the Nashville Predators Foundation by visiting their website at:
http://predators.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=com_fou_index.

(Above) With the assistance of Gnash, Gerry Helper (L), President of the Nashville Predators Foundation presents a grant check to Ralph Brewer, President of Friends; along with Ginger Bell, Member of the Board of Directors of Friends and Pat Galvin (R) Secretary of Friends.

TSB Alumni Association

No other group is more supportive of the students at the Tennessee School for the blind than the school's Alumni Association. Organized in 1917, the purpose of the Alumni Association is to form a union of the graduates and former students of the Tennessee School for the Blind and to promote the interest of the school, it’s alumni, and the blind in general. Each year the Alumni, collectively and individually, donates thousands of dollars to Friends to assist with the projects undertaken by the foundation to benefit the students at TSB.

ABOVE: Members of the TSB Alumni gather in front
of the school on the occasion of the dedication
of the building to Ralph A. Brewer,
former Supt. and graduate of TSB.

Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation

THE MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS FOUNDATION (MHOF) made a donation of $5,000 for the purchase of a digital piano for the Music Therapy Room. MHOF supports music education and its many benefits through the donation and repair of musical instruments to under-served schools, community music programs and individual students nationwide.

MHOF was inspired by the acclaimed motion picture Mr. Holland’s Opus, the story of the profound effect a dedicated music teacher had on generations of students. The film's composer, Michael Kamen, founded MHOF in 1996 as his commitment to the future of music education. For more information about MHOF, please visit their website at: http://www.mhopus.org/

ABOVE: Ms. Geogette Seay is shown working with a student
using a digital piano provided by a grant from MHOF

Wal-Mart Charitable Giving

In keeping with founder Sam Walton's philosophy to "operate globally, give back locally," the Wal-Mart Foundation supports more than 100,000 charitable & community focused organizations. In June, 2010, Friends of TSB was grateful to be honored for the 5th year with a grant from the WalMart Foundation, presented this time through the Nashville Sam's Club Giving Program.

For more information about Wal-Mart Charities, visit their website at http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/

CIC FOUNDATION, INC.

(L) Pictured are Mr. Garry Forsythe (3rd from L), President and CEO of CIC FOUNDATION, INC., and Ms. Donna Tilley (2nd from L), Administrator for the CIC FOUNDATION and Mr. Irv Johnson (R), Treasurer, FRIENDS OF TSB; and Mr. Jim Oldham (L), Supt., TSB, accepting one of several donations from CIC FOUNDATION, INC.

Donations from CIC FOUNDATION, INC., are made in honor of Ms. Marie Herndon (Not Pictured), a retired CIC employee and TSB graduate.

Gaylord Entertainment Foundation

Out of thousands of applicants, Friends of TSB is honored to have been selected as a 2010 recipient of a grant from Gaylord Entertainment Foundation. The marks the fourth consecutive year that Gaylord Entertainment Foundation has considered our application and considered our mission and purpose worthy of financial support. We greatly appreciation Gaylord Entertainment Foundation for their support and consider them one of our "Special Friends."

The Gaylord Entertainment Foundation focuses on giving in the state of Tennessee, specifically supporting Community Arts Programs, Education at all levels, and Programs Assisting local Disadvantaged Youth. To learn more about the good work done by Gaylord Entertainment Foundation, please visit their website at:
http://www.gaylordentertainment.com/CommunityInvolvement/CommunityInvolvement.htm

Lowe's Toolbox For Education

Friends of Tennessee School for the Blind was recently notified of its selection by Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) to receive a grant in the amount of $7,500 to subsidize our efforts to make improvements and upgrades and to purchase much-needed furnishings and teaching aids in the Family & Consumer Sciences Building on the campus of the Tennessee School for the Blind.

Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant program is funded by the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, which has supported thousands of grassroots community and school projects in the communities where Lowe’s does business. The Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program has already donated nearly 5 million dollars to nearly 1,000 Schools in all 50 States and the District of Columbia in 2006 and 2007.

To learn more about the good works being done by Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, please visit their website at: http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/index.html

LIONS OF TENNESSEE

In 1925 at the Lions International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, Helen Keller challenged the Lions to become "Knights of the Blind." Since that time, no other group has been better friends to individuals who are blind. This is especially true of the Lions of Tennessee. In 1959, TSB became the first Multiple District project of Lions of Tennessee. Today, contributions from Tennessee Lions sponsors five major programs at TSB: (a) The Christmas Gift Program; (b) The Student Work Program; (c) The Boy & Girl Scout Programs; (d) The Low Vision Assistance Program; and, (e) The Summer Enrichment Program.

When Friends of Tennessee School for the Blind, Inc., was begun in 1997, The Donelson Lions Club made the first significant donation to the foundation by donating the proceeds from the sale of their clubhouse. Lions of Tennessee truly are "Special Friends" to the children at the Tennessee School for the Blind!

For information about Tennessee Lions, visit LionsNet Tennessee

FINISH LINE YOUTH FOUNDATION

The Finish Line Youth Foundation (FLYF) strives to make a difference in the lives of youth in the communities where employees and customers live, work and play. The Finish Line Foundation supports organizations, throughout the country, whose goal is to assist youth through programs focusing on living a healthy lifestyle, building confidence and leadership skills, and teaching the importance of teamwork. FLYF supports qualified, non-profit organizations that provide community based access to athletics for kids under the age of 18, as well as camps that give kids the chance to be active, especially camps that provide services to kids who are disadvantaged or disabled.

In May, 2009 representatives of the Finish Line Youth Foundation (FLYF) honored Friends of TSB with their visit to the school, and presentation of a generous donation to benefit TSB students. This grant was awarded to help fund improvements to the TSB gym, for increased safety and accessibility in mobility, fitness and athletic team programs.

Please visit FLYF web site to read news of their outstanding fundraisers & impressive history of grants: www.finishline.com\youthfoundation.

Pictured Above (L-R ) Pat Galvin, Sec., FTSB; Ralph Brewer, Pres., FTSB; Donald Goode, Dist. Manager, FLYF; Jon Brooks, Gen. Manager, FLYF, Murfreesboro; and, Bert Martin, Gen. Manager, FLYF, Opry Mills

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