OK pilgrim, get ready to saddle up for Project Help! The date for the Annual Summer fundraiser for MTSU's Ann Campbell Early (ACE) Learning Center is Thursday, July 30th. In fact, the Tuesday, July 14th Action Line on WGNS will focus on this fun event.
The Saddle Up Committee is busy organizing this signature event. This is the 9th year for this summer event that benefits ACE Learning Center. In fact, the Tuesday, July 14th Action Line on WGNS will focus on this fun event. Chairs, Bess and Bryan Turner, invite you to attend and enjoy a fantastic evening while benefiting a great organization.
Guests are encouraged to pull out their western gear for this fun and casual event. Gabriel and Christy Fancher graciously offered their newly renovated and breathtaking Georgetown home as the site of this year's event.
Longtime supporters of ACE, Christy explained, "Our family has supported Saddle Up in the past because we believe in the work being done at ACE. And we were thrilled to be able to help in this way. This night is always a great way for old friends to catch up and hopefully make some new friends, too. "
Guests can show off their favorite jeans, boots, and cowboy hats in a beautiful outdoor setting. The festivities begin at 5:00 pm with a Sponsor's Reception at the home of John Floyd, which will include appetizers and cocktails. At 6:30 pm, the outdoor dinner and silent auction will begin. A food truck and complimentary valet service are two new additions the committee is excited to offer. Christie-Q Catering will pull up their truck and serve a delicious traditional barbecue meal, with some new twists that will delight the foodie in everyone! And to cool down on this summer night, beverages will be served courtesy of Stones River Total Beverage and Mayday Brewery. Saddle Up sponsorship is available and open to individuals as well as businesses. Tickets can be purchased for $50 per person.
Located on MTSU's Campus, ACE Learning Center, formerly Project Help, was established in 1983 by Dr. Ann Campbell who was a faculty member in the Department of Elementary & Special Education until her death in 2011. The program is an inclusive early childhood program for children ages 15 months until kindergarten. The four classrooms provide developmentally appropriate learning environments for children with and without developmental delays to play together and learn from each other. The curriculum addresses the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards and learning goals identified for individual children. The teachers intentionally plan activities that promote children's development of communication, social, cognitive, and motor skills. MTSU students are integral to ACE Learning Center. Students work and volunteer in the classrooms throughout the academic year. They interact and play alongside the children, support individual children, and support the teachers by assisting with daily activities.
The Center is funded through tuition, MTSU, the United Way of Rutherford & Cannon Counties, Charity Circle, of Murfreesboro, private donations, and the Saddle Up event.
For more information about ACE Learning Center, visit the website at www.mtsu.edu/acelearningcenter or call (615) 898-2458. To learn more about Saddle Up, purchase tickets, or become a sponsor for the event, contact Lucie Burchfield, MTSU College of Education Development Director, at lucie.burchfield@mtsu.edu or follow the Saddle Up link on Facebook www.facebook.com/anncampbellearningcenter.
