Bright Apple shines Brightly at Inaugural Apple Fest, announces Milestone of 1 million Snacks Served!

​The mission of Bright Apple shined brightly at the inaugural Apple Fest held on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Iglesia Una Esperanza Viva Church in Columbia. The event was held to raise funds to support Bright Apple’s mission of providing healthy snacks for students in Maury County.

Board members, volunteers, supporters, and sponsors alike came together to celebrate the organization’s success and garner support for the future. To kick off the event, Bright Apple’s Executive Director Bradd Kimes announced a new milestone achievement of 1 million snacks served!
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“When we embarked on this mission five years ago, I don’t think we could have imagined we would be here at this moment having served over 1 million snacks to students,” said Kimes. “This is an exciting time. The best is yet to come.”

Bright Apple has added two new schools to its roster this school year to make a total of seven schools in Maury County who are receiving Bright Apple snacks. Bright Apple proudly serves the students of J.R. Baker Elementary, Joseph Brown Elementary, Highland Park Elementary, Mt. Pleasant Elementary, Riverside Elementary, Randolph Howell Elementary, and Woodard Elementary. Students from the schools were in attendance to enjoy the festivities of the day including a bounce house, apple tasting, and games.
“We are able to serve these students because of the people here today,” said Lisa Ciesliga, Director of Development for Bright Apple. “This mission truly takes a village, and we have a wonderful community to help us move toward a bright future.”
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Hyundai of Columbia and Ford of Columbia were the event’s presenting sponsors. Chris Alexander, Dealer Partner and General Manager, and Patrick Robertson, Assistant General Manager, were in attendance and shared their passion for the mission of Bright Apple.

“Events like Apple Fest do more than raise funds—they shine a light on the crucial work Bright Apple is doing in our community,” Robertson said. “I encourage fellow business owners and individuals to step up and join this cause, helping us create a brighter future for Maury County’s next generation. Together, we can make a lasting impact and ensure that no child has to face the school day hungry.”

Other sponsors of the event were Columbia Collision, WireMasters, WKOM 101.7 FM, Muletown Local, Grace Elizabeth Designs, McDonald’s, Main Street Media, Lifetouch, the UPS Store, Destiny Church, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Tennessee, and Country Financial. Una Esperanza Viva Church provided the location and the delicious taco lunch for the event.

“We are so thankful for the support of every individual and business who has contributed to this cause,” said Ciesliga. “We couldn’t do what we do without the support of the community. Every dollar makes a difference. We focus on feeding children so they can focus on learning.”

Bright Apple is a nonprofit organization that provides healthy snacks for students in Maury County each school day. Many of the students experience food insecurity and are not able to bring a snack from home. School schedules vary and some children eat lunch early or late in the day and feel hungry before or after lunch. The snacks help students concentrate and learn in school.

“The early years of a child’s learning are critical to their success in school,” said Kimes. “By providing these snacks, we are boosting their ability to learn to read. We conducted a survey earlier this year among teachers and administrators in the schools we serve. One hundred percent said the healthy snacks are contributing to better student focus and attention in class. We want to continue to serve these students and expand to more schools.”
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Since 2019, Bright Apple has provided over 1 million healthy snacks to students in Maury County. It costs just $5 a month to provide snacks for one student each school day. For more information about how you can help, visit BrightApple.org or send an email to [email protected].