By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–It was a big night at the Henry County Helping Hand Radio Auction annual meeting, with checks totaling $467,400 handed out to 99 non-profit and public service organizations. With another $100,000 donation received the last day of the auction again this year, a grand total of $503,132 was raised in 2024 for Helping Hand.
There were smiles all around as a large and appreciative audience was on hand to accept the checks for their organizations. The annual session was held at the Krider Performing Arts Center in Paris. Helping Hand is held in January and February of each year, in which thousands of dollars is raised one homemade pie at a time.
Helping Hand officials thanked all the volunteers who make the annual event possible each year. New board members were approved: Jessi Smith- Area 1, Bettye Paschall- Area 2, and Chris Babyar- Area 5.
The Top Ten organizations raising the most money were led this year by First United Methodist Church with $39,693. The Top Ten Donor Organizations were honored.
The Top Ten Donor Organizations for 2024 were:
|
HELPING HAND 2024 TOP TEN DONOR ORGANIZATIONS |
|
| First United Methodist Church |
$ 39,693.00 |
| First Baptist Church |
$ 29,110.00 |
| Pleasant Hill Community |
$ 16,666.00 |
| Security Bank & Trust Co |
$ 16,644.00 |
| Tennessee Valley Community Church |
$ 13,798.00 |
| Central Point Community |
$ 13,283.00 |
| Cottage Grove Community |
$ 13,015.00 |
| Whitlock Community |
$ 12,258.00 |
| Buchanan Community |
$ 11,783.00 |
| Henry County Medical Center |
$ 10,741.00 |
| Henry County Helping Hand Organizations Funded 2024 | |
| HEALTH & WELLBEING | |
| ABLE Farms Foundation | $ 5,000 |
| Henry County School System-Weekend Backpack Food Program | $ 8,000 |
| Paris Special School District Family Enrichment | $ 8,000 |
| Carey Counseling -Peer Support Outreach | $ 5,000 |
| Darkhorse Lodge | $ 7,000 |
| Little Pantries of Henry County | $ 2,000 |
| Henry County Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse | $ 4,000 |
| Henry County CASA | $ 6,000 |
| Henry County Office on Aging NW Nutrition Fund | $ 1,500 |
| Hope Center Ministries | $ 6,000 |
| Paris-Henry County Healthcare Foundation | $ 4,000 |
| Henry County Office on Aging | $ 2,500 |
| Paris Landing Senior Citizens Center | $ 2,500 |
| Paris-Henry County Senior Citizens | $ 2,500 |
| Tomorrow’s Hope Pregnancy Medical Clinic | $ 9,500 |
| V.F.W. Post 1889 (Lewis-Wimberley Post 1889) | $ 3,000 |
| William C. Wood Jr Vietnam Memorial American Legion Post 89 | $ 2,000 |
| PUBLIC SAFETY | |
| Civil Air Patrol, Henry County Composite Squadron | $ 2,000 |
| Dog House Rescue | $ 2,500 |
| Cottage Grove Volunteer Fire Department | $ 8,000 |
| Cottage Grove Volunteer Fire Department (Airport Station) | $ 8,000 |
| Henry Volunteer Fire Dept | $ 8,000 |
| Jones Mill Volunteer Fire Department | $ 8,000 |
| Mansfield Volunteer Fire Dept | $ 8,000 |
| Oakland Volunteer Fire Dept Inc | $ 8,000 |
| Ore Springs – Como Community Fire Dept. | $ 8,000 |
| Paris Landing Fire Department | $ 8,000 |
| Paris Landing Fire Dept – Buchanan Station | $ 8,000 |
| Paris Landing Fire Dept – Lakewood Station | $ 8,000 |
| Paris Landing Fire Dept – Russwood Station | $ 8,000 |
| Pleasant Hill Volunteer Fire Dept | $ 8,000 |
| Puryear Volunteer Fire Department | $ 8,000 |
| Springville Community Fire Dept Station #1 | $ 8,000 |
| Springville Community Fire Dept Station #2 | $ 8,000 |
| Whitlock Volunteer Fire Department | $ 8,000 |
| Forever Friends Animal Sanctuary | $ 2,500 |
| Paris-Henry County Rescue Squad Inc | $ 16,000 |
| EDUCATION | |
| American Heritage Girls – Troop 3130 | $ 1,000 |
| Henry County Sheriff’s Dept D.A.R.E. | $ 3,000 |
| Paris Police Department D.A.R.E. | $ 3,000 |
| Friends of Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge | $ 6,000 |
| HCHS Basketball Booster Club | $ 4,000 |
| HCHS Boys Soccer PAC | $ 3,500 |
| HCHS Cross Country, Track & Field Teams | $ 2,000 |
| HCHS Fishing Booster Club | $ 2,000 |
| HCHS Lady Patriot Soccer | $ 3,000 |
| HCHS Madrigals | $ 2,000 |
| HCHS Swim Team | $ 1,500 |
| Henry Co. Prevention Coalition | $ 6,000 |
| Henry Co. 4-H | $ 4,000 |
| Henry Co. Band Parents Club, Inc | $ 5,000 |
| Henry Co. Chapter of Imagination Library | $ 13,000 |
| Henry Co. Junior Livestock Association | $ 2,000 |
| Henry Co. Literacy Council | $ 2,000 |
| Henry Co. Project Bridge Inc | $ 4,500 |
| Inman Middle School Band | $ 3,000 |
| Kim McDaniel Shining Bright Foundation | $ 3,000 |
| PLUS | $ 2,000 |
| Henry County Boy Scouts | $ 7,000 |
| Henry County Girl Scouts | $ 5,000 |
| UT Extension Henry County FCS | $ 800 |
| W.G. Rhea Library | $ 3,200 |
| ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY | |
| Family Resource Center | $ 4,500 |
| Habitat for Humanity of Henry Co | $ 5,500 |
| Mary’s Kids | $ 6,500 |
| Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council | $ 8,000 |
| Paris Downtown Boxing Gym | $ 4,000 |
| Paris Henry County Ministerial Association | $ 2,000 |
| Project Help of Henry County | $ 9,000 |
| TARP Inc | $ 4,000 |
| The Salvation Army | $ 27,000 |
| Volunteer Income Tax Assistance | $ 1,000 |
| HISTORICAL PRESERVATION | |
| Henry County Archives | $ 4,000 |
| Henry County Cemetery Committee | $ 2,500 |
| Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood Assoc. | $ 1,500 |
| Paris Academy for the Arts | $ 5,000 |
| Paris-Henry County Heritage Center | $ 5,000 |
| CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT | |
| Downtown Paris Association Inc | $ 5,000 |
| Henry County Genealogical Society | $ 2,000 |
| Paris Henry County Arts Council | $ 10,000 |
| Paris Henry County Chamber Music Society | $ 1,000 |
| RECREATION | |
| Covenant Ranch Inc | $ 5,000 |
| Henry County Fair Assocation | $ 5,000 |
| Henry County New Wave Buddies | $ 3,000 |
| Henry County Saddle Club | $ 4,000 |
| Henry County Youth Athletic Association | $ 4,000 |
| Henry County Youth Shooting Sports | $ 4,500 |
| KPAC Young Artists | $ 1,200 |
| Levi Miles Foundation, The | $ 7,500 |
| Paris- Henry County Special Olympics | $ 1,200 |
| R.E.A.L. Hope Youth Center | $ 3,500 |
| TOTAL | $ 467,400 |
Photo: Sgt. Bruce Alexander, left, accepts the check for DARE from Helping Hand President Bruce Reed. Photo by Marsha Banasiewicz.