The Lake Tansi Exchange Club awarded a dozen Crossville service-related non-profit organizations with $30,000 worth of grants during its first meeting of 2024.
The funds came from the organization’s Crossville Field of Honor program.
“I love this day when we give all this money away. All of these groups are so deserving of the money, and we wish we could give more,” said Jean Smith, president of the Lake Tansi Exchange Club. “All of these groups had a role in helping with the Field of Honor in one way or another. It’s a collaborative effort that we couldn’t do without all of these people.”
Smith said after expenses were paid the group raised $40,000 through the Field of Honor.
The 2023 Field of Honor was held at Garrison Park from Nov. 5-11 and offered 700 flags on display. Each flag represented a veteran or someone who is currently serving in the U.S. Armed Services.
The awards were announced and presented after a pot-luck breakfast was served to attendees.
“Today, we are giving away $30,000 in donations. We kept $10,000 to go into the coffers to give for various grants and scholarships,” Smith said. “I can tell you the community here has a bucket of gratitude for veterans … It’s very moving.”
At the top of the list, receiving a $20,000 gift was the Cumberland County Veteran’s Assistance Council.
“This is going to help a lot of veterans, and I can’t begin to thank you enough,” Bob Opthaf, of the CCVAC, said.
The CCVAC is a charitable organization that assists Cumberland County veterans and families during difficult times. It’s a collective effort by all of the Cumberland County veterans organizations such as the American Legion posts, the Fleet Reserve Association, Military Officers Association of America, Vietnam War Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts, Disabled American Veterans, and Korean War Veterans. The CCVAC also receives donations from the public, local community vendors and other non-veteran organizations such as the Crab Orchard Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, who provide support to veterans throughout the nation.
The CCVAC can help with assistance in utility bills, grocery or other needs. All CCVAC staff members are non-paid volunteers. Veterans in need can access the CCVAC through the Cumberland County VSO Veterans Service Office.
Allen Foster, Cumberland County mayor, said, “This community is a special place. I love this area [Lake Tansi] like its my home.”
Foster was guest speaker.
He explained that after school he and his wife moved to Nashville and lived there for a little while but decided to come back to Crossville because they didn’t want to raise children there in the city.
“Coming back here, we knew we made the right decision. Now we have a grandbaby. This is a special place and I love how our community works together to support each other. This club is an example … ,” Foster said.
Receiving a $2,000 donation was the Exchange Club/Stephens Center of Crossville.
The mission of the Exchange Club/Stephens Center is to promote healthy, nurturing families through appropriate home-visiting, parenting classes and community education programs. The Stephens Center is accredited by both Healthy Families America and the National Exchange Club. The center is licensed by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. The Exchange Club/Stephens Center provides services to children and parents in Overton, Putnam, Cumberland, DeKalb, Macon, Clay, Pickett, Jackson, Smith, and White Counties.
Groups that received a $1,000 grant included Cumberland County Young Marines; Veteran’s Honor Guard, Sgt. Morgan W. Strader Marine Corps. League Detachment #1467, and the Tennessee Fisher House of Murfreesboro, which provides temporary housing for family members of hospitalized veterans.
Organizations receiving $500 included Cumberland County Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1015; Cumberland County Military Memorial Museum; Creative Compassion; Fleet Reserve Association; American Legion Post 163; and the Lake Tansi Exchange Club’s Veteran’s Park.
For more information about the Lake Tansi Exchange Club, visit laketansiexchangeclub.com.