Annual heroes Luncheon to honor memory of local Pastor Jimmy Terry

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) — The Tennessee River Chapter of the American Red Cross will host its annual Heroes Luncheon on Thursday, September 14 at the William O. Beach Civic Hall. This year’s event is especially monumental in that it marks 100 years of service of the Red Cross in Tennessee.

Pastor Jimmy Terry Sr. of Clarksville will be honored and remembered as Humanitarian of the Year at the event. Pastor Terry passed away on June 21, 2017.

Pastor Terry was known for his many accomplishments and dedication to the community. He founded the Tabernacle Baptist Church and, in 1999, opened the Tabernacle Christian School, an accredited elementary school, still in operation and open to the public.

In service to his community, he worked tirelessly to petition the state to rename Highway 79, formerly known as Guthrie Highway, to “Wilma Rudolph Boulevard” and helped establish a committee to commission a statue in her honor, which now resides at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center at Liberty Park.

As a lifetime member of the NAACP, he was instrumental in enriching Black History Month with opening and closing ceremonies for local events. Reverend Terry was one of the first graduates from the first class of Leadership Clarksville in 1987. He was an original director of Legends Bank and served on the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

The keynote speaker for the event, Dave Sanderson, was a passenger on Flight 1549, the Miracle on the Hudson.

The last passenger off the back of the plane on that fateful day, he was largely responsible for the well-being and safety of others, risking his own life in frigid water to help other passengers off the plane. That experience profoundly changed his life and today he travels the globe sharing his inspirational and motivational leadership messages to help people make a difference in how they do business and live their lives.

For event sponsorships and ticket information, contact Katy Hagstrom at (931) 206-4763 or katy.hagstrom2@redcross.org.

The Tennessee River Chapter of the American Red Cross serves proudly serves Montgomery, Stewart, Houston, Dickson, Humphreys, Hickman, Perry, Lewis, Maury, Wayne, Lawrence & Giles counties in Tennessee as well as Fort Campbell.