How Mt. Juliet fundraiser at The Paper Mill is more than lip service to embattled Haiti
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Extreme violence, heavily armed gangs and the political uncertainty that hangs over Haiti may seem a world away but it has a direct connection to many in Mt. Juliet and Wilson County.
Grace & Glory Academy is a school for Haitian children launched in 2013 by a Mt. Juliet resident. The school led to a local nonprofit that now supports the school, which educates, feeds and clothes more than 300 children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Haiti's Lanzac region.
A Lip Sync Battle fundraiser, scheduled for Saturday, April 27, at The Paper Mill restaurant in Mt. Juliet will raise funds toward Grace & Glory Academy’s approximate $100,000 annual budget, said Kristin Wall, a Grace & Glory nonprofit board member supporting the school.
Wall is also a guidance counselor at Mt. Juliet High School.
“The turmoil has left people feeling fearful and anxious, concerned for their nation's future, their food supply, and their family's safety, unsure of what each new day may hold,” Wall said. “Specifically, families in our school community are anxious about gangs encroaching on our area. While gangs have not yet infiltrated our vicinity, many families have sought refuge here from the disorder in Port-au-Prince.”
David Curtis, Eric Rubush and Jeremy Lindgren as the Soggy Bottom Boys from “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” were last year’s winners of the first Grace & Glory's Lip Sync Battle.
Kelly Peters, a Rutland Elementary School teacher and mother of four, performing “I Will Survive,” Mt. Juliet Middle students Catherine Wilt and Emily Buckner lip syncing to Luke Bryan and elementary school students Carter and Sadie Southworth channeling Imagine Dragons were also among those who participated in the inaugural event, which saw about 50 challengers.
The board hopes to substantially grow the fundraiser this year.
Tanna Clark launched Grace & Glory Academy more than a decade ago after a Soles4Souls mission trip a couple years earlier. Jay Simmons is the executive director of the board. Grace & Glory is a separate nonprofit, but several people connected with Providence Church in Mt. Juliet are invested in the academy.
"Now more than ever it is a critical lifeline for an increasingly isolated community," Providence Church Pastor Mark Youngman said. "It’s a miracle that we are still able to provide food and education for our students throughout these years of unrest."
A takeoff of the television show, “The Amazing Race,” which invites participants to solve clues and complete challenges as they advance to different destinations and challenges around Mt. Juliet, has also been an annual fundraiser for the academy.
But the board wanted to add a spring-time fundraiser, which Wall said is crucial to keeping the academy going.
“Over the past couple years, we have been able to raise approximately $100,000, so we are barely meeting the need,” Wall said. “If it wasn’t for the fundraisers that are held, we would not meet the need. We currently have 136 students sponsored. We really need all 300 sponsored.”
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
If you go: Grace & Glory Lip Sync Battle
When: 6-9 p.m., April 27.
Where: The Paper Mill, 4066 N. Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet.
Why: To raise money for Grace & Glory Academy in Haiti. All ticket proceeds will go toward the Grace & Glory Academy and resources that include books, warm meals, school supplies and teacher salaries.
What: Those lip syncing can perform as a group or solo. People can also come to watch. A silent auction will also be held and The Paper Mill will have a food and drink menu for the event. Prizes will be awarded in multiple categories.
Tickets: $30. Visit Eventbrite.com. Tickets will also be sold at the door.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mt. Juliet Lip Sync Battle to support locally founded school in Haiti
