KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Emmet P. “Buck” Vaughn, Jr. and his wife Linda will be honored at the tenth annual Spirit Award Dinner benefiting the Helen Ross McNabb Center. The event will be held on Tuesday, March 4 at the Knoxville Convention Center. Former NFL player and friend to the Vaughns, D.D. Lewis, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

The Spirit Award Dinner began in 2004 to recognize individuals who have supported the mission of the Helen Ross McNabb Center and have worked selflessly to improve their community. Together, Buck and Linda have served in leadership positions on the Helen Ross McNabb Center and Foundation boards of directors. Their influence has raised millions of dollars to help children and youth excel to their fullest potential and provide stability and support for adults recovering from mental illness and addiction. They have also introduced hundreds of new supporters to the Center’s mission of, “improving the lives of the people we serve.”

Buck and Linda will join a remarkable list of past honorees. Past Spirit Award honorees, include:

Dr. Joe Johnson
Hank and Jane Bertelkamp
Harry and Sarah Stowers
The George Sampson Family
Dale and Barbara Keasling
Reverend George and Nancy Doebler
Bo Shafer and the late Mary Shafer
Will Pugh and the late Henrietta Pugh
Joe Mont and Kane McAfee

For tickets or more information, please contact Beth Farrow at 865-329-9030 or [email protected].

Sponsors of the evening include, Home Federal Bank, Cheryl Massingale, Jim and Natalie Haslam, Hank and Sandy Bertelkamp, Dr. Joe and Pat Johnson, Stowers Machinery, Cherokee Distributing Company, Proffitt and Goodson, White Reality, TIS Insurance, Beverage Control, Inc., and RIVR Media.

The Helen Ross McNabb Center is a premier not‐for‐profit provider of behavioral health services in East Tennessee. Since 1948, the Center has provided quality and compassionate care to children, adults and families experiencing mental illness, addiction and social challenges. As the Center celebrates its 65th year of providing services to communities in East Tennessee, its mission remains clear and simple; “Improving the lives of the people we serve.” For more information, visit www.mcnabbcenter.org or call (865) 637‐9711.