Wine Down Main Street is a unique wine tasting event that takes place along historic Main Street in Franklin, Tennessee. This annual event is a benefit for the Boys & Girls Club of Franklin/Williamson County.
What to Expect at Wine Down Main Street:
- Enjoy more than 170 wines
- Taste food from 30+ regional restaurants
- Enjoy live music on the square
- Mix and mingle with interesting people. Past attendees have been from 35 Tennessee cities, 15 states, England, France and Japan
- Enjoy one of the area’s best events; Wine Down Main Street was voted best fundraising event in Williamson County nine consecutive years, including 2015
- Feel confident that all proceeds will benefit the nearly 3,400 Middle Tennessee youth served locally at seven Boys & Girls Clubs in Davidson and Williamson Counties
Wine Down Main Street – Eight Time Sizzle Award Winner for Best Fundraiser/Charity Event in Williamson County!
For tickets and more information please visit Wine Down Main Street.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee
For more than 113 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee has enabled all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Annually, more than 3,400 youth walk through the doors of the five Middle Tennessee Boys & Girls Clubs. Clubs are located in Davidson & Williamson counties. Clubs provide a safe place, professional caring staff, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. Learn more at www.bgcmt.org or follow us at www.facebook.com/
Check out this list of top notch pumpkin farms!
Bottom View Farm
185 Wilkerson Lane, Portland
325-7017 • www.bottomviewfarm.com
Tues – Sat 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Kids can take a train ride and play on the giant slide, meet and greet farm animals, pick pumpkins and more.
Gentry’s Farm
1974 New Hwy. 96 W., Franklin
794-4368 • www.gentryfarm.com
Sat 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sun 1 – 5 p.m. through Monday, Oct. 31
A four-acre corn field maze, hayrides, three fun-filled barns, indoor straw maze, friendly farm animals and more.
Honeysuckle Hill Pumpkin Farm
1765 Martins Chapel Church Road Springfield
382-7593 • www.honeysucklehillfarm.com
Monday – Friday 9am – 10 pm, Saturday 10am – 10pm and Sunday 12pm – 6pm
Hayrides, a corn maze, petting farm, monster rippler slide, pig races, cow train and more.
Lucky Ladd Farms
4374 Rocky Glade Road, Eagleville
274-3786 • www.luckyladdfarms.com
Tennessee’s largest petting farm features more than 100 animals that children can pet and feed. Other highlights include a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay rides, playgrounds and more. The Farm Fresh Fun Fall Festival runs Fri – Sun, Oct. 3 – 30.
Walden Pumpkin Farm
8653 Rocky Fork Road, Smyrna
220-2918 • www.waldenfarm.biz
Open through Monday, Oct. 31: Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri 3 p.m. to dark, Sat 9 a.m. to dark, Sun 12 – 4 p.m. (closed Wed)
See farm animals, enjoy hayrides, play in the kiddie Corn Maze, pick a pumpkin and more. Free admission, activities have varying fees.
Barefoot Republic Camp & Retreat Center – 16th Annual Fall Banquet – Franklin, TN
The 16th Annual Fall Banquet will be hosted by Amy Grant on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at her family farm. Our annual banquet, including silent auction, helps raise the much-needed operational expenses, capital improvements and hundreds of camp scholarship for families in Middle Tennessee.
We look forward to the 2016 event & hope you can join us!
For tickets and more information please visit Barefoot Republic Camp & Retreat Center.
Sandra Moody Sullivan Named “Ed Moody Award of Excellence” Recipient
8:23 pm | Sunday, May 15th
Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee (BGCMT) announced Sandra Moody Sullivan as the recipient of the 4th “Ed Moody Award of Excellence.” She will accept the award at the 27th Annual Steak & Burger Dinner taking place on Thursday, May 5, 2016 in Jamison Hall in the Factory at Franklin.
Sullivan is the niece of the late Ed Moody and has been an after-school volunteer tutor at the Franklin Club for more than two years. She taught in the Williamson County Schools system for 42 years. The “Ed Moody Award of Excellence” honors the revered Williamson County businessman, who helped establish the Franklin Boys & Girls Club in 1989. Moody co-founded Moody Tire Co. after World War II with his brother, Tom, who was Sullivan’s father. Moody’s widow, Eileen, will present the award to her niece.
“I’m very honored to receive this award, particularly since it is named for my uncle Ed,” said Sullivan, daughter of the late Tom and Isabelle Moody. She is the mother of Lisa Carson, Rachel Sullivan, and the late Jennifer McGhee. “I started working with the Club in August of 2014, and I help the youth with whatever work they have, not just math,” Sullivan said.
Teaching children is nothing new for Sullivan, an Auburn University graduate who began her education career in 1963 in Columbus, GA. From 1970-1985, she taught at Lipscomb Elementary, and from 1986-2014 at Grassland Middle School. Sullivan had compiled 18 months of unused sick days upon her retirement.
A member of Franklin First United Methodist Church, Sullivan said she was surprised that she had been named to receive the Moody Award. “I’m a supporting player, not a star,” Sullivan said.
About the Steak & Burger Dinner
The Steak & Burger Dinner is one of Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee’s oldest and most time honored traditions. While the event is a fundraiser, it is designed to honor Club members and engage supporters of our organization with the young people who benefit from their generosity. During the event, while all attendees gain inspiration from a keynote speaker, adults dine on finely prepared hamburgers while Club members are honored with special steak dinners, which for some,
may represent their very first steak dinner. The Steak & Burger Dinner incorporates an evening of good food, great entertainment, and interaction with Boys & Girls Clubs’ youth at each table.
Each table consists of six (6) adults and two (2) kids so that event attendees learn about the kids in a unique setting. Steak & Burger Dinner table sponsorships are $1,000 and include tickets for six guests and two Club members. Individual tickets are $125 each, which buys a burger for one adult and a steak dinner for a Club youth member. Top-tier levels include the $10,000 Presenting Sponsor, $7,500 Diamond Sponsor, $5,000 Gold Sponsor, and $2,500 Silver Sponsor.
Sponsors receive numerous advantages ranging from various advertisements to tickets and tables. Tickets and tables can be reserved at www.BGCMT.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Denise Carothers, Area Director and Resource Development Director, Williamson County, at 615-628-8188 or dcarothers@bgcmt.org.
About The Ed Moody Award of Excellence
The Ed Moody Award of Excellence, an annual honor from the Williamson County Advisory Board, recognizes an individual who has made a lasting impact with the Franklin and Fairview Boys & Girls Clubs and the Williamson County community. Each year the award is chosen by a panel of Williamson County Advisory Board members, Boys & Girls Clubs professional staff and community leaders.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee
For more than 113 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee (BGCMT) has enabled all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Annually, more than 3,400 youth are served at seven Middle Tennessee Boys & Girls Clubs and through community outreach initiatives. Clubs are located in Davidson & Williamson counties. Boys & Girls Clubs provides a safe place, professional caring staff, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. To learn more, please visit www.bgcmt.org, like us on Facebook [GreatFuturesStartHere] or follow us on Twitter @BGCMT.
Great Futures Gala – March 12, 2016 – Omni Hotel Nashville, TN – Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee
The 5th annual Great Futures Gala is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, 2016 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville. As our largest fundraiser, this event helps support the 3,400 kids we’ve served so far in 2015. We are thrilled to announce Martin Short as our special guest.
The Great Futures Gala is an evening of Hollywood glamour, fine dining, and an auction experience. Our Gala features a live and silent auction of more than 200 items – from Nashville-made products to international trips. With over 750 notable guests, our Gala is truly a night to remember.
Click here to see who our sponsors and auction item donors are in 2016. Click here to purchase an individual ticket ($300) or a table for 10 guests. ($2,500).
The 4th annual Gala on May 19, 2015, featuring celebrity guest Dylan McDermott, was a great success! More than $437,000 was raised to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. Event proceeds will support outreach, Clubs, programs and services provided to more than 2,800 Middle Tennessee youth. Thank you to all the sponsors, guests, volunteers, and partners who made this event possible.
Contact Joy Lehmann at jlehmann@bgcmt.org or 615.983.8723 for information regarding sponsorships, auction items, tickets, and more.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee
Mission and Values
Our Mission
To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. Four key characteristics define the essence of a Boys & Girls Club. Each are critical in exerting a positive impact on the life of a child:
- DEDICATED YOUTH FACILITIES– Boys & Girls Clubs are places–actual neighborhood-based buildings–designed solely for youth programs and activities
- OPEN WHEN KIDS NEED US MOST– The Clubs are open weekdays after school and during the summer when kids have free time and need positive, productive outlets.
- TRAINED, PROFESSIONAL STAFF– Every Club is directed by trained youth development professionals who act as role models and mentors to members. Volunteers provide key supplementary support.
- AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE TO ALL YOUTH – For a $25/year annual membership, any child between the ages of 6 and 18 can become a Club member. We do not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or income.
More Than an Afterschool Program…
We don’t offer day care services. Our focus is helping all young people succeed through curriculum based targeted programs and high yield activities designed to help Members reach our Priority Outcomes: ACADEMIC SUCCESS, GOOD CHARACTER & CITIZENSHIP, and HEALTHY LIFESTYLES We invite you to visit one of our Clubs during program hours to see first-hand what an Outcome-Driven Club Experience looks like.
What do Boys & Girls Clubs look like locally?
- Over 2,800 kids came to a Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee last year – 1,588 of whom were registered members
- Average Daily Attendance: Summer = 500; School Year = 375
For the ninth year, the Fabulous Friends for Africa will host a Valentine’s Party to raise money for African Leadership, a local organization committed to developing projects and programs that meet the needs of Africans.
What: Fabulous Friends for Africa Valentine’s Party
When: Saturday, February 13, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Where: Liberty Hall, The Factory in Franklin, 230 Franklin Road
Benefits: African Leadership (AL) a local organization committed to providing church leaders with theological education and come along side these leaders as they work to impact their local communities across the continent.
Cost: Host a reserved table for ten for $750 or buy individual tickets for open seating at $75 in advance…$100 at the door. Register at www.fabulousfriendsforafrica.org Cost includes Italian buffet dinner, silent auction and dancing to the music of 12 South Band.
What to know: Started by a group of women turning 50 who wanted to raise money for the needy in Africa instead of hosting a birthday celebration for themselves. In its ninth year, the women who call themselves Fabulous Friends for Africa have raised more than $500,000 to support 100 orphans in Lizulu, Malawi and purchase study Bibles for the AL training programs throughout Africa. This year, proceeds raised through the party will benefit women and children across Africa who have been through traumatic experiences, either by war or in the sex slave industry.
First Tennessee Bank presents Homes for the Holidays Candlelight Tour benefiting Bridges Domestic Violence Center and historic preservation will be held Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. each night. Visitors will get an inside look into several Franklin homes and churches and enjoy the various styles of holiday decorations that exhibit the balance between historic charm and modern allure. The tour falls on the same weekend as the Heritage Foundation’s Dickens of a Christmas event, and guests are encouraged to come for the celebration and stay for the home tours.
In making the announcement, founding Bridges board member and historical preservationist Pam Lewis said, “We’re so pleased to open a festive collection of lovely historic and new homes along with several churches for a holiday candlelight tour in downtown Franklin. This tour demonstrates the rich heritage we enjoy in Franklin and highlights creative ways to celebrate, decorate and enjoy the blessings of the season.”
Homes and churches on the tour include:
- Phillip Catholic Church – Old Sanctuary, 113 2nd Ave. South
- Cumberland Presbyterian, 615 W. Main Street
- Lotz House, 1111 Columbia Avenue
- Ty’s House – Hard Bargain Association, 608 Mt. Hope Street
- O’More College of Design, 423 S. Margin Street
- Landmark Books, 114 E. Main Street
- The home of Lisa and Brian Beathard, 704 Fair Street
- The home of Kelly and Chad Dannenfelser, 315 Fourth Ave. South
- The home of Ann Johnson, 1211 Carnton Lane
- The home of Lydia and Tom Miller, 1328 Carnton Lane
- The home of Erika and Marcus Frazier, 1508 Holmes Circle
- The home of Rebecca and John Burns, 1136 Carnton Lane
“We’re pleased to celebrate the holidays while acknowledging the history of the Lotz House,” said Lotz House Executive Director J.T. Thompson. “The festive decorations will make the visitors feel as if they have stepped back in time with the Lotz family.”
The variety of historic and new sites on the tour will be filled with special collections and personalized décor that celebrate their own unique traditions. The Lotz House will serve holiday fare such as hot cider and Christmas cookies. Decorations in the house will be representative of the time period of the 1864 Battle of Franklin, with fresh décor of pulled cotton, harvested nuts, fresh apples, magnolia leaves and holly. The home of Ann Johnson will offer festive foods and feature her collection of antiques, salvaged barn wood floors and refurbished cedar beams. Cumberland Presbyterian will provide holiday music, period décor and a 25-foot Christmas tree. The campus of O’More College of Design will be decorated by its talented design students. The home of Rebecca and John Burns will feature handmade crocheted Christmas ornaments and a Crystal angel collection. Period costumed and festive interpreters and holiday music will be at many of the sites throughout the tour.
- Advance tickets are $30 per person or two for $55 and include a tour of all homes and churches. Tickets at the door on Dec. 12 and 13 are $32 per person or two for $60. Groups of 10 or more are $25 each. Please note that tickets are non-refundable. Tour patronsare welcomed to split up the tour over both days if desired.
Tickets are available at these locations:
- Lotz House, 1111 Columbia Avenue, 615-790-7190, lotzhouse.com
- The Heritage Foundation, 134 2nd Ave North, 615-591-8500, historicfranklin.com
- Bridges Domestic Violence Center, 615-599-8064, bridgesdvc.org
- Westhaven Resident’s Club, 401 Cheltenham Ave, 615-791-9250, westhaventn.com
- Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 150 4th Avenue North G-250, 615-791-7554, visitfranklin.com
- The Shop Around The Corner, 117 3rd Avenue North, 615-599-1652
- FirstBank, 510 Columbia Avenue, Suite 106 at 5 Points, 615-435-2460, firstbankonline.com
About First Tennessee Bank
First Tennessee Bank was founded during the Civil War in 1864 and has the 14th oldest national bank charter in the country, as well as one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country. First Tennessee and FTN Financial are part of First Horizon National Corporation (NYSE:FHN), which has 4,300 employees. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by Forbes, Working Mother and American Banker magazines. More information is available atwww.FirstTennessee.com.
About Bridges
Bridges Domestic Violence Center serves women, men and their children affected by domestic violence, ensuring a safe transition to successful independent living through education, intervention and case management. More information is available atwww.bridgesdvc.org.
The Historic Franklin Masonic Hall presents Deck The Hall, benefiting the restoration of the Masonic Hall, December 11th at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Experience Franklin’s oldest public building in full holiday splendor! Deck The Hall is the perfect way to begin the holiday season in Historic Downtown Franklin with music performed by the award-winning Summit High School Advanced Chorale. Guests will enjoy the Chorale’s selected classical and contemporary pieces from their holiday music repertoire. The Masons will present a special announcement on the restoration efforts at the Hall. Following the performances, guests may enjoy guided tours of the Hall.
* Please note, due to space availability performance times are 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person and advanced tickets are recommended. Tickets at the door on Dec. 11, if available, will be $20. All tickets are non-refundable.
Tickets are available at the following locations:
o Williamson County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, 150 4th Ave. North 615.791.7554. www.visitfranklin.com
o Historic Franklin Masonic Hall, 115 2nd Ave. South, 615.790.1688 or 615.584.4523 www.franklinmasonichall.org *Guests who pre-purchase directly from the Masonic Hall may pick up their tickets the week of December 7-11 or at the door. Free parking is available on the streets and in the 2nd Avenue South Parking Garage.
History of the Historic Franklin Masonic Hall:
The Historic Franklin Masonic Hall became Franklin’s first public building in 1826 and is one of the only surviving early Gothic architectural buildings in Tennessee. The Hall houses Hiram Lodge No. 7, founded in 1809, and is the oldest Masonic Hall in continuous use in Tennessee. The Historic Franklin Masonic Hall became a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
FiftyForward is proud to present the 5th Annual Viva la Diva Run on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at Nissan North America campus in Cool Springs. This cross-generational event celebrates and supports health, wellness and safety programs for girls and women of all ages. Men and boys are encouraged to run in support of the women in their lives. This year we are excited to feature Girls On the Run as our 5K partner.
Please visit vivaladivarun.org for details.
Proceeds to Benefit FiftyForward Health and Wellness Programs
FiftyForward produces this event to raise proceeds benefiting its health and wellness programs for older adults (50+). In addition, funds raised from Viva la Diva will be used to help older adults access community resources they need to remain living independently. These FiftyForward services and programs include Meals on Wheels, Adult Day Services, Victory over Crime, Conservatorship and Care Management.
About FiftyForward
Founded in 1956, FiftyForward enriches the lives of adults 50+ by providing pathways to health, well-being and lifelong learning. With seven active aging centers offering educational and wellness programs throughout Davidson and Williamson counties, the non-profit organization also features FiftyForward Adult Day Care Services, FiftyForward Meals on Wheels as well as the FiftyForward Care Team offering care assessment and services to homebound adults. FiftyForward Travel offers adventures (near and far) and Senior Center for the Arts and The Larry Keeton Theatre, located in FiftyForward Donelson Station, features performing arts for all ages. Learn more about FiftyForward resources and volunteer opportunities by visiting: www.fiftyforward.org.