PENCIL held its fourth annual Together 4 Teachers Pep Rally on July 31. With the help of the Nashville community, PENCIL raised over $118,000, which will go toward supporting resources and services within the DG PENCIL Box, PENCIL’s free teacher resource center.
Together 4 Teachers, created in collaboration with Director of Schools Dr. Adrienne Battle, brought the Nashville community together to provide MNPS classroom teachers with tote bags full of high-quality, in-demand school supplies. The Pep Rally celebrated and showed appreciation for educators as they prepare for the 2023-24 school year, while also raising awareness about the DG PENCIL Box, PENCIL’s free teacher resource center.
“PENCIL enjoyed the opportunity to bring MNPS teachers together to celebrate and prepare for what is sure to be an extraordinary school year,” said President & CEO Angie Adams. “Getting necessary supplies into the hands of educators and students is a priority of ours. We are grateful to our PENCIL Partners who made the evening possible and to First Horizon Bank for hosting the Pep Rally again.”
Guests were greeted by the Tennessee Titans Blue Crew before picking up their supply bags and tickets for the always-popular giveaway that included round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines for two fortunate teachers. The celebratory evening also offered games, a DJ, box dinners, and more before the school year begins on August 8.
During the program, Dr. Battle best summed up the sentiment behind the event saying, “Teachers, you are at the heart of everything we accomplish as a district. Thank you for everything you do.” Other speakers included First Horizon’s Herman Hicks and emcee Jacky Gomez from Asurion, and representatives from Lead Sponsors – Courtney Ross of Amazon, Cat Royka of Dollar General, and Ali Tonn of Nissan – also expressed their appreciation for the important work of these educators.
The highlight of the night was a surprise appearance by Grammy, CMA, and ACM Award-winning entertainer, Emmy Award-winning TV host, and best-selling cookbook author, Trisha Yearwood. As the daughter of a teacher, Trisha was sincere when she said, “I have a special place in my heart for teachers. Their direction is crucial to developing and raising our children to be good humans. We owe them all the gratitude and support we can give!” During the giveaway, two lucky teachers received autographed copies of her cookbook, Trisha’s Kitchen.
Supplies for Together 4 Teachers and year-round resources at the DG PENCIL Box are made possible through financial investments and in-kind donations. Sponsors and major partners for this year’s Together 4 Teachers include Lead Sponsors Amazon, Dollar General, and Nissan; Pack-A-Thon Sponsor Asurion; and District Sponsor Ingram Charities.
