Dinner and a message

The Blount Health Educators, Inc., gathered friends and supporters at the Airport Hilton on Feb. 22 to celebrate their successes and look to the future of their organization.

The Blount Health Educators, Inc., is a community-based abstinence education organization that works with the three school systems of Blount County through the schools Family Life classes. The organization is funded by private donations, state-funded grants and fund-raising events.

Dr. Kim Collins, chair of the board of directors, spoke to the group. A silent auction of specialty baskets helped raise funds and donations were requested from those who share the vision of the Blount Health Educators.

The cost of the dinner was underwritten by supporters of the group.

Part of the message of the evening was that the grant the group has received from the Tennessee Department of Health will end in June of 2007. The teen pregnancy rate in Blount County has dropped since the Blount Health Educators began their program, taking the county off the high-risk list for funding.

For more information on the Blount Health Educators, call 865-681-4314 or go to www.bnhe@aol.com.