Tony ‘Still Standing’ Varnell is the founder/visionary for the Legacy Builders Generation and Varnell Foundation.
On Sunday, November 18, the Varnell Foundation (VF) Honors and Rites of Passage Ceremony will be presented. This year the event will be held at the Mt. Zion Antioch location at 2261 Murfreesboro Road, Antioch, Tenn. 37217.
The Varnell Foundation is an organization designed and developed to reach the youth in the Nashville area and surrounding counties to reach a higher level of success. The event is free and seating and parking are on a first come, first serve basis.
Twenty-two Varnell Foundation honorees will be recognized, including: Dr. Bobby Jones, Bishop Joseph Walker, and Robert Sherril.
“However, the main reason for the event is to honor the young men which we have recently worked with,” said Varnell. “They will be inducted into their manhood. One of the tasks of each inductee is to practice the art of ‘giving back.’This is done by helping us raise money for the foundation to continue our fine work within the city, and beyond.”
He indicated that there is a special joy in seeing the young men when they first come into the program. They are like loose lumps of clay waiting to be molded and formed into a better person and ultimately into manhood. The young men come from all walks of life, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. Even so, the bulk of them are temporarily financially challenged.
Tony’s motto doesn’t exactly read like the age-old adage “train a child up in the way he should go” but actions speak louder than words. It is amazing how that training and molding is a big part of the youths’ good character building.
“Youth learn to gain excellence in the fine arts and other life-changing categories,” said Varnell. The foundation is proudly celebrating over 10 years of enhancing and changing the lives of the youth who enter their program. These youth have a success rate of moving up and on into their lives, create strong, stable families, become financially fit and furthering their education. Save the date, Sunday, November 18, promises to be unforgettable and blessed.
Interested sponsors and volunteers email <info@Legacybuildersgeneration.org>.
