KCCC students receive Tim Hall Food For The Hungry Service Award

Four Knox County Career Center students are honored for going above and beyond in service to the annual Food For The Hungry drive

Tim Hall Food For The Hungry Service Award winners from the Knox County Career Center are Kailyn Bowman, let, Hunter Schrienk, Tyson Payne and Gracelynn Parrish.

Knox County Career Center announced their fifth annual Tim Hall Food For The Hungry Service Award winners. 

Kailyn Bowman (Cosmetology), Hunter Schrienk (Automotive Technology), Tyson Payne (HVAC) , and Gracelynn Parrish (Collision Repair) all received the award.

The Tim Hall Food For The Hungry Service Award was established to honor the efforts of Tim Hall and KCCC students and recognizes students with a servant's heart who went above and beyond to help with the Food for the Hungry drive.

Tim Hall, a longtime Collision Repair instructor at KCCC, has made it his mission to help serve Knox County since 1995. Years ago, Hall wanted to buy lab tools for the Collision Repair program. He had a conversation with Ray Richardson, KCCC Superintendent at the time, about purchasing the tools. Richardson obliged, but wanted to take things one step further. He asked Hall to work to instill a sense of giving in his students and find a way to give back to the community.

Out of that conversation came a vision to restore vehicles by Hall. Since 1995 countless vehicles, mostly trucks, have been restored and sold with the profits going to those in need. Several trucks sold for $15,000-$20,000. One of the first vehicles to be auctioned for charity was a 1994 Z28 Camaro. In addition to restoring vehicles, Collision Repair students would also do car washes and collect food items.

For several years, the money raised was donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation. Food For The Hungry then became a favorite for Collision Repair. To this day, former students still talk about their experience working on vehicles for the Food for the Hungry drive. Students sometimes spent part of their Thanksgiving Break and worked many hours to get thevehicles ready in time for the Food For The Hungry vehicle auction. Students took pride in the project and were proud to give of their time and efforts.