All About the Mission - March 29
When the red carpet rolls out next week, I never miss the chance of bragging on an amazing group of 12 volunteers who make the Red Carpet Tour all come together. Whether it's unloading hundreds of landscaping plants as we will be doing this Thursday, setting up televisions, or mixing our world famous bloody marys, this team can execute all things Red Carpet with their eyes shut. Many of these volunteers have been working Red Carpet for over 30 years and we are truly a family. Even when the Tour was cancelled in 2021, we still got together to have fun.
Many on the team are either currently with or have retired from Georgia Power. When Georgia Power says they will be a “Citizen in Every Community We Serve,” they are making an immeasurable impact demonstrated by these folks investing their time every year. The hours for Red Carpet volunteers are long – 12 hours a day for 7 days, not including advance set up and post tournament tear down. The team from Georgia Power includes William Edwards, Andrew VonPlinsky, Chris Duncan and Suzanne Sharkey.
We also have 2 volunteers from the Georgia Department of Economic Development Tourism Division. Mandy Barnhart who is the Regional Tourism Marketing Manager and Jeannie Buttrum, now retired. Mandy travels from the Lake Oconee area and braves the traffic every morning. Even after retirement, Jeannie is an integral member of the team and the person that coordinates the Red Carpet’s famous police escort from the airport to the tent.
Red Carpet is also fortunate to have two Army retirees on the team. COL Thom Tuckey, US Army (Ret.) and Sergeant Major Dr. Tom Clark, US Army (Ret.) and Executive Director for the CSRA Alliance for Ft. Gordon. Both of these gentlemen are strong leaders when it comes to execution and many times, three steps ahead of all of us.
Rounding out the rest of the team are Lane Keen, Owner of Keen Signs & Graphics, Kaden Jacobs, Director of Communications and PR for Doctor’s Hospital, Johnny Harmon with AT&T Technology Operations and Wireless Implementation and Allen Thompson with HAS Investment.
To the entire Red Carpet team, we say thank you! You are all about the mission next week!