‘Stringing Together Pearls of Joy’ at Bridles & Blue Jeans

On April 13th , STAR held its 19th annual Bridles & Blue Jeans event!

New this year, we rolled out the red carpet for a VIP Reception! Sponsored by Claire Poole, this special gathering was reserved for our top two tier sponsor levels. Featuring a specialty cocktail, an appetizer spread from Amazing Graze, early access to the silent auction, and the chance to visit with the STAR minis, this pre-event reception started the night off just right.

All guests enjoyed drinks thanks to Bryan Howington and Cherokee Distributing Company, appetizers by Seasons Innovative Bar and Grille, and a delicious steak dinner provided by O’Charley’s.

Amanda Hara, WSMV News Anchor and STAR Board member, provided the opening remarks. A special thank you to Glenna Overton Clark and her team for a terrific silent auction with a huge variety of offerings. And another super thank you to Karen Malone, Brenda Miller, Renee Abraham, Kathy Hanley, Gail Arnett and the décor team for transforming the arena into a beautiful event venue. Jason & Natalie Deel of JD Realty and Auction conducted the live auction where guests had the opportunity to bid on exclusive items such as a trip to Las Vegas, golf at Sweetens Cove, a Nautical Boat Club membership, and a private party with Diana Warner. Our friends from O’Charley’s presented a check representing money raised during their Give 5 Get 5 campaign.

Michelle Hardin, STAR Board President, presented sponsor recognition followed by STAR Executive Director, Lynn Petr, who gave shout-outs to staff & volunteers, then touched on how ‘pearls of joy’ abound during the days at the STAR barn. This led to a touching video created by Sam Comer which showcased the benefits of partnering with horses.

Laurie Macnair, event chair, and Shawn Snyder, STAR Development Director, teamed up to lead the paddle raise. Together they rallied the crowd and shared enthusiasm for STAR’s programs raising $86,150 to support our participants!

In total, Bridles & Blue Jeans raised $339,000! This success could not have happened without the continued support of our community of donors, sponsors, volunteers, and friends!

The evening ended with Rick Terry giving away a beautiful necklace and Laurie Macnair bringing us back to the real reason we gathered in the first place – to change lives by providing healing through horses.

Event Sponsors: O’Charley’s, SouthEast Bank, R3 Consulting, First Horizon, Clayton, Paul and Debbie Nichols, Angela Kowalski and Scott Huff, Nautical Boat Club, Johnson Architecture, Chick-fil-A Lenoir City, Gallaher Plastic Surgery & Spa, KaTom Restaurant Supply, Inc, Rick Terry Jewelry Designs, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, Fullgraf Foundation, Home Federal Bank of TN, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Regions Bank, Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance - East Tennessee

Photos courtesy of Barry Slaiman