CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – 2021 was an eventful year with many highs and lows, but the community did what it always does by banding together and showing up for one another. 5 Star Media Group got to be part of those efforts.

5 Star Media Group includes nine radio stations and Clarksville Now, and General Manager Katie Gambill said that with that influence comes a lot of responsibility.

“This year has not been without its challenges, but instead of doing nothing, we decided to not just survive in a challenging year, (but) we were going to thrive,” Gambill said. “We took that opportunity to not only grow (within the company) but figure out how we can serve our community and give back.”

Here is a look back at 2021, and what the community helped us accomplish.

Letters of Love: We collected and distributed thousands of Valentine’s Day cards and letters for senior citizens in nursing homes who had been shut in away from visitors during the pandemic.

Camp Rainbow Radiothon: Beaver 100.3 FM raised over $59,000 for Camp Rainbow, a summer camp for children who have medical conditions that won’t let them attend regular camps.

Pour the Love for Blackhorse: A local landmark restaurant suffered massive damage from a fire and had a fundraiser to support the employees. We emceed and promoted the event.

Wet Nose Wednesday: Each week, Monica spotlights a different pet from Montgomery County Animal control on Rewind 94.3.

Qt-est Pet: Each week, Sari and Tom of Q108 have Cats R Us or the Humane Society in to feature an adoptable pet. Each pet featured has been adopted into a local home.

Pass and Go: We support a local event that rewards one lucky high school student with a new car. Each student who passes an AP class gets a chance to win.

Stuff the Bus: Tens of thousands of dollars worth of school supplies were collected for the Montgomery County Teachers Warehouse, which teacher’s use to get school supplies.

Waverly Flooding Relief: Over $10,000 worth of school supplies were collected and delivered for Waverly schools after a devastating flood.

Combat Hunger: 26,000 pounds of food and $7,000 collected for Manna Café.

Turkeys for Troops: Each year for Thanksgiving, we promote and help pass out free turkeys to active duty military, veterans and their families. 1,500 turkeys were handed out this year.

Toy Drive: This year, 5 Star Media Group gathered over 1,400 toys for children for Christmas. These gifts went to support families with Sanctuary Inc., Toys for Tots, Homeffa Foundation, Crisis 211, Radical Mission Compassionate Ministries-Warm Souls Christmas, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarksville.

Beaver 100.3 Tornado Relief: Thousands of dollars and supplies were collected and delivered to those affected by the tornados that swept across Kentucky in December.