MLK Breakfast at MTSU 9:00AM this Saturday

Jan 14, 2015 at 09:45 am by bryan


As a part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration, the Murfreesboro branch of the NAACP is holding the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast at 9:00 o'clock this Saturday morning, January 17, 2015, at MTSU's James Union Building.

The keynote speaker is Rev. John R. Faison, Sr. He is the senior pastor of Nashville's Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church. His address is titled "Drum Majors for Justice and Peace".

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In addition, the Jerry Anderson Heroes/Humanitarians' Awards will be presented.

This year's recipients include:

Heroes

Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department: Vular Anderson, Adam Brown, Ryan Battle and Justin Lewis
Rutherford County Sheriffs Office: School Resource Officer Matt Powell

"Four Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department personnel received Letters of Commendation from Fire Chief Cumbey Gaines March 20, 2014, for successfully delivering a baby girl on February 24, 2014.

According to the letter, Acting Captain Vular Anderson, Driver Adam P. Brown, and Firefighters Ryan Battle and Justin Lewis responded to a medical call involving a woman in labor. The crew assisted with delivery of the baby, freed the nuchal cord from her neck, and assisted Rutherford County EMS with patient care of the mother.

The letter stated, "It is not every day in our line of work that we encounter something like this. The crew worked together to make sure this baby entered into this world and that the mother was taken care of as well."

Chief Gaines told the group, "I appreciate all you do and I am proud that you are a part of this department."

The group was the first to receive the department's new challenge coins for "Meritorious Service."

The four personnel were also honored at a City Council Meeting on August 7. They each received the City's STARS (Succeeding Through Attitudes Reflecting Service Excellence) Award.

Mayor Shane McFarland presented them with a certificate. Each recipient received a check for $25.00 and vacation leave as well."

Humanitarians

Cliff and Jane Sharp with Greenhouse Ministries met while attending Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas and were married in 1961. Cliff returned to Harding in 1964 to teach in the Science Department and coach Football and Track.

After teaching for 28 years and raising 3 daughters Cliff and Jane moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1988 and began serving as director of the Crisis Pregnancy Support Center. After nearly 9 years he served as associate minister for Belmont Church and they started Greenhouse Ministries in 1999.

Greenhouse Ministries is a faith based helps organization that has two main goals. The first is to help meet not only the physical needs of the underserved but also the educational and spiritual needs. Its second goal is to be a venue for volunteers to use their talents to serve their community. Our desire is to look for needs in the community and strive to fill or refer these needs.

Their three daughters, families, seven grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren all live in Rutherford County.

Cliff and Jane serve on several boards, counsels, and task forces in the community. They attend Christian Life Church in Murfreesboro Tn. Cliff has received awards and recognitions in Education, Athletics, Social Work, and Community Service.

Stacy Windrow with the YWCA is native of Schenectady, New York, Stacy B. Windrow is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. Her mission is to "Empower People through Faith and Fitness." Currently, she is employed as a group fitness instructor by the North Rutherford County YMCA and is a TRX certified Trainer, RRCA Running Coach, and American Council on Exercise Group Fitness Instructor.

Her passion for helping people lead healthier lifestyles led her to form a running group - The Road Runners - thirteen years ago at Olive Branch Church where she is a member. The group has grown into an outreach program that includes individuals from surrounding areas. As a result, Stacy has trained many people who were previously living sedentary lifestyles and has coached them to focus on healthier eating habits, and encouraged them to begin walking and running programs. Most of them - from every fitness level - have run 5ks, 10ks, half and even full marathons. Weight loss, lower blood pressure, better lab results, and increased self-esteem are a few of the changes that The Road Runners have experienced.

The Stacy B. Windrow 5k Run/Walk was established six years ago as another way to give back to the community in the area of health and well-being. This charitable event has donated over $10,000 to the local YMCA's We Build People Campaign, an initiative designed to help families participate in its wellness programs.

This past year, the race entered into a partnership with Feed America First, a faith-based hunger relief organization. The $3,500 donation from the race helped provide approximately 42,000 meals to local persons in need.

Stacy has been married to Vincent L. Windrow, pastor of Olive Branch Church and MTSU administrator, for almost 20 years. They have two children, Lorenzo and Jewell, and a miniature schnauzer named Langston Que.

She is also a twenty-nine year active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Melvin Cunningham with the Rutherford County Sheriffs Office learned the volunteer spirit from his family while growing up in Franklin County. As a young volunteer firefighter in Sewanee, he courageously ran into a burning house and saved a baby.

He has always given himself to improve the community through his job and his history of being a volunteer.

Officer Cunningham started his law enforcement career at Sewanee Police Department in 1972, worked for MTSU Police for one year and joined Murfreesboro Police Department in 1979 in the patrol division. He helped start the Narcotics Unit where he arrested a suspect in Rockvale for the largest amount of illegal mushrooms in the southeastern United States in the late 1980s. He also discovered a tractor-trailer full of washers and dryers stolen from Sears that was supposed to be sold to buy drugs.

He worked as a detective and later transferred to public relations where he started the Citizens Police Academy and the Safe Place where abused children and runaways can get help.

Sgt. Cunningham gave crime prevention talks on the city owned Cable station and for senior citizens and retail managers and employers. He coordinated the Neighborhood Watch program and National Night Out that earned 16 awards.

After his retirement, he became a deputy at the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office.

As a community volunteer, he wanted to help people help themselves. He founded the Blues Fest at Patterson Park, persuading blues artists from Nashville to perform for free for people who couldn't otherwise afford to hear the music.

He is the bass player for the band, the Pilots, a group who volunteers their time for community fund-raisers. He provides his sound system for the 9-11 annual event at the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office and gospel singings at the Rutherford County Correctional Workhouse.

He and his wife, Terry, volunteer for United Way and the Oakland High School Patriots football team. He is an avid photographer.

Deputy Cunningham said he likes helping people do something positive.

Tickets to Saturday's MLK, Jr. Luncheon

Tickets to this Saturday's Martin Luther King, Jr. luncheon at MTSU are $30 for adults and $15 for youth ages 21 and younger. To secure your tickets, call Florence Smith at 615-589-5034. Other contacts include Chairperson Goldy Wade (615-668-3933), Co-Chair Dr. Ernest Newsom (615-893-6219), and NAACP President Katie Wilson (615-556-7189).

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