Pictured above, from l. to r.: Members of the planning committee from PEP and Leadership Putnam, meet to discuss event menu options. Rachael Sutton, Katelyn Steakley, PEP Executive Director and Heath Waters, Committee Chair.
The event is partly sponsored by SMARTBANK, First National Bank of Tennessee, Putnam County Farm Bureau and The River Community Church
The Putnam Education Partnership Foundation, also known as PEP, will host its first major fundraising event known as “PEP Rally” April 9 at the River Community Church in Cookeville.
The foundation is known for its BackPack Program, which serves food to over 800 Putnam County Students experiencing food insecurity each Friday. In recent years, with rising student needs, PEP expanded its efforts to serve students and the Putnam County School System with the goal of strengthening the community by removing barriers to student achievement.
“We are excited to host our first event and welcome our community members to invest in our program and funds benefiting Putnam County Students,” said Katelyn Staeakley, PEP Executive Director. “PEP is actively working to serve students experiencing poverty in a number of ways, and over the past few years, we have added our Student Needs Fund to assist students in crisis, a Performing Arts Grant to invest in equitable in performing arts programming, Our Future Ready Fund to invest in student achievement, and this year our goal is to expand to invest in student needs at the school level through funding care closets for PCSS Schools.”
The event will allow Putnam County Students to showcase programs from across the school district and provide the event’s entertainment, catering, media and decor.
“It’s exciting to see what students in our community are capable of, and to hear about the needs that exist for students in our community,” said PEP’s fundraising chairman, Heath Waters. “I am excited to be part of this organization and support the work PEP is doing in our schools and community.”
The PEP Rally is receiving planning support from the most recent cohort of Leadership Putnam.
The event is partly sponsored by SMARTBANK, First National Bank of Tennessee, Putnam County Farm Bureau and The River Community Church. Tables for the event are still available.
Visit www.peptn.org/event to register as a table host or learn more about the PEP Foundation.
Photo courtesy of PEP.
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