Mayors Honor Sumner Volunteers at Vol State Event

Mayors from across Sumner County gathered at Volunteer State Community College Wednesday to salute volunteerism. The Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service event acknowledged the importance of service work in the community, and the contributions of Vol State students, faculty and staff in that effort. Each mayor spotlighted volunteers and community groups, including the Mid-Cumberland Action Agency, Sumner CASA (Court Approved Special Advocates), the Sumner County Anti-Drug Coalition, the Sign Club, and the Moon Ranch Adventures cancer camp for children. Westmoreland Mayor Jerry Kirkman announced the formation of the Westmoreland Council of the Arts. White House Mayor Mike Arnold spoke of two young brothers, Cayden and Conner Long, who worked together to get a wheelchair-friendly playground built in the city. Vol State president, Dr. Jerry Faulkner, mentioned Vol State Service Learning student projects, which are tied to specific classwork. Projects this year included emergency planning for daycare centers, ophthalmic examinations for people in Guatemala and local water quality research.  Faulkner also mentioned individual student community service, where students utilized skills learned in the classroom, with everything from blood pressure checks for the community to setting up a computer lab in a local elementary school. Mayors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico participated in the national event. It is estimated that more than 6,300 people, of all ages and backgrounds, are helping to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and increase civic engagement through national service in Tennessee.  For more information about Service Learning at Vol State visit: www.volstate.edu/servicelearning Pictured: The mayors pose for a picture with Vol State students, faculty and staff. In the front row, from  left to right: Dr. Rick Parrent, director of Service Learning at Vol State; Paige Brown, mayor of Gallatin; Scott Foster, mayor of Hendersonville; Anthony Holt, Sumner County executive; Kenneth Wilber, mayor of Portland; Jerry Kirkman, mayor of Westmoreland; Mike Arnold, mayor of White House; and Dr. Mani Hull, executive director, Tennessee Campus Compact.