CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) It’s time once again to recognize another very special person in our community as a Hometown Hero. Our latest honoree is Patricia Hanna, who most people know as Trisha or Trish.
Hanna has long history in Clarksville-Montgomery County for her community service as well as her love for her family and friends. Hanna’s husband Doug, along with sons Logan and Ben, can many times be found beside her as she carries out her work in Clarksville.
Hanna said she thinks it’s important to know your community and it’s important to get involved and to know what the needs are. She added she feels very fortunate to be where she is and able to help and believes the community has been good to her and that’s one of her ways of giving back.
One of her community projects she is most proud of is an organization she founded in 2009, the Clarksville Association for Down Syndrome, also known as CADS. In 2006 Trish and Doug were blessed with a son, Ben, who was born with Down Syndrome.
After a short time Hanna said she and Doug discovered there were not a lot of resources in the local area to find help for Ben and her family so she and other parents affected by Down Syndrome organized a support group.
CADS received nonprofit status in 2012 and the organization has been growing every year. CADS sponsors the “Community Cares Walk & Expo” each October for the special needs community and to raise awareness of health, wellness and safety, and received funds in 2016 from the Best of Clarksville.
As far as her Hometown Hero honor, “I think everything that I do is a personal mission for me and my family and everything else is a complete bonus,” said Hanna. She added that the $400 award will go to CADS to help a family pay for a weekend retreat with other families who have individuals with Down Syndrome.
Hanna had this for who nominated he and for those who voted for her. “I’m humbled that they think of me as a Hometown Hero but I can tell you that everything I do in my life, my career, my full time job, and with CADS, I couldn’t do without the people in my life,” said Hanna.
“I couldn’t be the person I am today without the board members I have, the volunteers that CADS has. We’re just very fortunate and I just feel very lucky. It’s important to make a difference if it’s in the life of one person or in the community. It’s important to leave a footprint for people to follow,” Hanna said.
Voting for the Hometown Hero for January is going on now through January 31 with a $400 prize given to the Hometown Hero with the most votes. To find out how to nominate that special person you know that shares their selfless spirit with the community go to
Hometown Hero on Clarksvillenow.com.
Hometown Hero is brought to you by Jodi’s Cabinets, Planters Bank, Melinda-Kelly-Major with Reliant Realty and Appleton Harley-Davidson.