Kapp wins Key to Success car giveaway

Heather Mullinix, Crossville Chronicle, Tenn.
·2 min read

May 16—Winnie Kapp, a senior at Cumberland County High School, will soon be sporting a new set of wheels, courtesy Dave Kirk Automotive and the Attendance is the Key to Success program.

"It's surreal," said Kapp as she received hugs from fellow students, teachers and others present at the drawing held Thursday in the CCHS gym.

Kapp's was one of 17 names written on balls inside a rotating drum. By the end of the drawing held Thursday morning, only Kapp's name remained.

Students earned entry into the drawing by maintaining regular attendance throughout the school year.

For each week a student attends without an absence, their name is placed into a quarterly drawing. Each nine weeks, a qualifying name is drawn at CCHS, Stone Memorial High School and The Phoenix School.

Students with 12 or 13 years perfect attendance also earned an automatic entry into the drawing.

The drawing is open to juniors or seniors. Students must have a valid driver's license to participate.

Finalists were, from CCHS, Alice Smith, Autumn Ward, Jordan Thompson (who had two chances), Sierra Hicks-Reed, Kyle Adams, Beth Ann Brewer and Kapp; from SMHS, Madison Dick, Collin Tiegs, malachi Ray, Joselyn Morrison, Damorius Moore, Matthew Bilbrey, Drew Davenport, Dylan Whittenburg, and, Brock Spigner from The Phoenix School.

Alice Smith's name was drawn first. She was awarded a new laptop.

Next, the names were drawn one at a time. Students would come forward when their name was drawn and selected a box from the table. Inside they found gift cards valued at $50 or $100.

One by one, the number of students waiting for their name to be called grew smaller.

Finally, Kapp and Beth Ann Moore remained on the stage.

Moore's name was called. Kapp was astonished.

"I figured I'd be somewhere in the middle," she said.

Now in its 18th year, the local dealership has provided almost $500,000 in prizes to support the attendance program.

"It's all about the students," said Tim Poore, representing Dave Kirk Automotive.

In years past, the drawing was followed by the winner going outside to a line-up of new cars from Dave Kirk Automotive.

Continuing supply chain issues mean that couldn't happen this year. Instead, Kapp and Poore will meet this week to discuss the car she wants.

The CCHS senior plans to attend the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in the fall and major in business management.

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.