It was the perfect day for the XMC, Inc. as they hosted their fifteenth annual Golf Tournament at Pickwick Landing State Park. There were 28 teams of four and it was a great turnout for the tournament. Bob Hamilton, his family and staff went all out to make this a great day for all the golfers who played in the tournament. All proceeds from this tournament goes to Make A Wish Foundation. In April of this year XMC sent a four-year-old and his family to Disney World. What a great thing to see these teams playing for such a great cause. One thing that really impressed me was listening to Hamilton’s grandson, Aidan, share that he wanted to grow up and run his grandfather’s company because “I want to help people.” This young man really made an impact on me because it was wonderful seeing a child want to grow up like his grandfather with his objective to help others. All golfers received a welcome gift. I watched as Hamilton personally thanked the participants and tried to hand deliver many of the welcome gifts himself as possible. All of the XMC staff was excited about the day and looking forward to next year’s event!

Bone Appétit, the main fundraiser for the Downtown Dogs Group, was held on Sunday, October 15 at the West Tennessee Farmers’ Market. It was an evening filled with good food and music for a good cause for the organization’s fifth annual event.

The Carroll County Shooting Sports Park hosted the 2nd Young Life Sporting Clays Tournament at their amazing facilities that include long-range, sporting clay, field shooting, two Western fast draw shooting cities, coupled with a large meeting room or dining facility. Directly behind the main building is a four-station clay bird range, which allows for handicap shooters, such as Wounded Warriors. The high school shooting teams practice here for regional and national competitions.

Instead of the annual football rivalry that occurs between USJ and TCA on the football field, the two schools came together to perform a charity that benefits people in the area supported by RIFA. In the past the two schools have coordinated this charity project and collected 260,852 pounds of food. RIFA gave out 390,000 meals through Soup Kitchen, Snack Backpack, Food Bank and Senior Staples.

This fall semester marks the 50th anniversary of the day classes were first offered at Jackson State Community College. To celebrate the past 50 years, JSCC held an event in their student center on Monday, September 11 for past and present students, faculty and friends to reminisce, reconnect and see the many great and exciting changes on the campus.

The Jackson-Madison County Library Foundation held its 7th Annual Books of Madison County event on August 24 at the Jackson Fairgrounds.

Many community members came out to support the library at the event that has grown consistently each year. Attendees enjoyed a catered dinner, entertainment and a silent auction.

On Saturday, July 29, community members flocked to the Carl Perkins Civic Center for United Way’s Annual UNITAS event where they enjoyed socializing, a wonderful meal and an evening with special guest speaker Kurt Warner.

On Thursday, July 20, the Dream Center of Jackson held its “That’s Amoré” event at First United Methodist Church. Event attendees enjoyed a delicious meal catered by Olive Garden and desserts by L&T Cakery as well as entertainment by Thirty Wonderful and Kevin Chang, who played violin tableside.

It was a super night for the 25th SportsPlus Football Jamboree, held this year at the Ballpark at Jackson. The stadium provided all those in attendance with a great view of the action. Ten teams competed during the course of the Jamboree. According to Leigh Ann Gaines, this is the second time it has been held here at the ballpark.

On Saturday, July 22, Toast of Jackson, a fine wine and art festival and celebration of local and regional wineries, was held at the Jackson Fairgrounds. The event raises funds for the Exchange Club of Jackson and the Exchange Club-Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Event attendees visited participating booths, viewed and purchased art and sipped on a wide variety of fine wines from various local and regional wineries.

A Taste of Jackson was held on a beautiful evening at the Jackson Farmers’ Market. The variety of foods available included Oriental, Mexican, American and grilled. Each year the event expands out to the market area and specialty coffees are available for tasting. Startup businesses showcase their products, and community outreach agencies participate in the tasty event among the restaurants.