Today, more than 475 2nd and 3rd grade students from West Elementary and Russellville Elementary filled the Russellville High School Auditorium. After finishing 10 weeks in the Super Citizen Program, they are gathered to celebrate their accomplishments and honor local heroes from the stage.
These students have learned their important roles in America’s future thanks to an immersive experience in civic, character, financial literacy and social studies. And in the closing piece of the program, Torch Teams (or “Helping Hands” for the younger students), students are applying those crucial lessons in the real world. They chose heroes who embodied the traits of amazing citizens and read essays from stage before presenting them with Authentic Liberty Replicas & Liberty Pins. They learned that “when you honor a hero, you become a hero!”
See the Torch Teams & Helping Hands Heroes honored today in the photo gallery below!
Today’s event and the donation of Super Citizen teaching kits was made possible by the Franklin County Community Alliance. With its help, we are teaching, inspiring and empowering our Next Great Americans.
Did you see today’s event? Were you as emotional as we were? Will you help us continue this amazing mission?
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- Sunny the Squirrel was so proud to celebrate with these super citizens!
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- All smiles as they wait to celebrate!
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- These Super Citizens are excited about their Helping Hand Certificates!
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- These Super Citizens are happy to celebrate with Sunny the Squirrel the CB&S Mascot!
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- Superintendent Heath Grimes welcomes everyone!
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- Eric, Jonathan, Allison, Matthew, Lily Cate, & Haylee lead their classmates in the Pledge of Allegiance
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- Sunny the Squirrel and our friend Barrett Gilbert with Alfa stand together and pledge!
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- Mildred Young is honored as a Helping Hand Hero by Chloe from Ms. Jones’ class
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- Brett Evans is honored today as a Helping Hand Hero by Mya from Ms Mill’s class
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- Helping Hand Hero Terry Stockton smiles with Peyton
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- Linda Gable is honored as her granddaughter Emily’s class as their Helping Hand Hero
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- Jason & Patricia Thorn accept the Torch Team Hero honor from Kennley and her class and their grandson Dylan smiles with them!
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- Pedro Francisco is honored as a Helping Hand Hero by Jackson & Sam
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- Matt Cooper is honored as a Helping Hand Hero by Madi and her class!
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- Helping Hand Hero Shane Mansell smiles with Jemma
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- Chloe smiles with her dad, Brandon James after she and her class honor him as their Helping Hand Hero
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- Helping Hand Hero, Jonathan Copeland smiles with his daughter, Ella after she and her class honor him.
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- Cassie Medley is honored as a Helping Hand Hero by Ansley and her classmates.
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- Hannah and her classmates honor her grandfather, Larry Greenhill as their call Torch Team Hero
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- Kelli Dodd with LLF stands in for Michelle Murray who was honored as the Torch Team Hero by Kimberly and her class
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- Nancy and her class honor Bernice Bolton as their Torch Team Hero
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- JoAnn Pearson is honored as a Torch Team Hero by Emmy and her classmates.
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- Aidyn Kate and her class honor her mom, Bonnie Bendall as their Torch Team Hero
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- Father Vincent is honored as a Torch Team Hero by Naylin and her class
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- Kelli smiles with Ruby who honored Dr. Kevin Kelly as her class Torch Team Hero
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- Raney smiles with her grandfather, William Stone who is honored as her Torch Team Hero
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- Thank you to our Sponsors!
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- Tripp, Desarae, Olivia, McKinley, Ellie, Olivia, Angelo, Michael, Layla, Olivia, Emily, Yaretzi, & Emma help Sunny the Squirrel lead everyone in the tour anthem
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- Sunny the Squirrel is celebrating with these Super Citizens in song!
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- Only YOU can keep the U in the USA!
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- West Elementary & Russellville Elementary 2017 Helping Hand & Torch Team Heroes pose with our friend from CB&S Bank, Sunny the Squirrel
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- Superintendent Heath Grimes, Matt Cooper with CB&S Bank, Barrett Gilbert with Alfa, & Tricia Bobo with the Liberty Learning Foundation are all smiles because Sunny the Squirrel took a picture with them!
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- Tricia Bobo with the Liberty Learning Foundation says a big THANK YOU to Matt Cooper and our friends at CB&S Bank!
Matt Cooper, a longtime support of Liberty Learning Foundation, was already our hero before being honored today for being a community hero. Serving as CB&S Bank Executive Vice President Business Development Officer, he knows this powerful program wouldn’t be possible without donor support. Speaking to potential donors, he attested, “We have found nothing that is as instrumental in impacting people and impacting lives as what we’ve found here. If you weren’t able to give this year, come to a program … and you’ll budget for it next year.”
Another hero honored today was Cassie Medley of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. She shared her excitement about the lessons students learned in the Super Citizen Program. “They can do anything. If they put their minds to it and have some drive and determination … they can do anything!”