NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 17, 2024) – Nashville Soccer Club announced today that the fifth-annual PENCIL (Public Education Needs Community Involvement and Leadership) Together 4 Teachers Pep Rally is taking place at GEODIS Park for the first time on Monday, July 29th. The Together 4 Teachers Pep Rally is a celebration of Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) teachers featuring food, games, and the donation of school supplies to educators.
Prior to the Pep Rally, Nashville SC will be hosting Teacher Appreciation and Back to School Night when it faces Orlando City SC at GEODIS Park on Wednesday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. CT (tickets available here). Fans attending the match are encouraged to bring pencils that they can donate to PENCIL upon entry at GEODIS Park.
“Nashville Soccer Club is thrilled to open the doors of GEODIS Park to PENCIL and its Together 4 Teachers Pep Rally for the first time so that we can expand on our partnership and continue supporting local schools and educators,” said Brandon Hill, Nashville Soccer Club’s Head of Community. “MNPS teachers are vital to the success of our community, and our club is committed to helping ensure they have the tools they need to continue making a positive impact on children's lives.”
One of the lead sponsors of the Together 4 Teachers Pep Rally is Coca-Cola Consolidated, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States and a longtime supporter of the Nashville community. Coca-Cola Consolidated will be providing portable chargers for every teacher attending the Coke Consolidated Pep Station, as well as Fanta and Coke slushies all evening and a fun 360-degree camera experience. Additionally, Coca-Cola Consolidated will be giving away gift cards during the raffle portion of the event, adding to the excitement and appreciation of the educators.
“Coca-Cola Consolidated is dedicated to the Nashville community and as the local bottler, we are proud to play a role in its continued dedication to teachers and students,” said Keith Burnette, VP of Coca-Cola Consolidated’s Mid-South Market Unit. “We are excited about the partnership with PENCIL and Nashville SC and look forward to the events in the coming week.”
“We are so grateful for the partnership and generosity of Nashville Soccer Club,” said PENCIL CEO, Christiane Buggs. “They are always eager to volunteer, inspire students, and support educators in creative ways, so collaborating with them on the Together 4 Teachers project felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate educators as we head into the next school year.”
In the lead up to the pep rally, PENCIL will hold a Pack-a-Thon on July 24th and 25th where corporate sponsors will assemble school supplies into thousands of tote bags for Metro teachers at the PENCIL warehouse. Then, the Together 4 Teachers Pep Rally at GEODIS Park will serve as the initial delivery site for those in-demand school and teacher supplies before the start of the school year. Together 4 Teachers shows support for and celebrates the work of MNPS educators and reminds them to “shop” year-round at the DG PENCIL Box, PENCIL’s free educator resource center.
