PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2015
Media Contact:
William Stephanos, City of Kingsport ∙ Office of Cultural Arts
Renaissance Arts Center & Theatre ∙ 1200 E. Center St., Suite 224
Kingsport, TN 37660 ∙ 423.392.8414 office ∙ stephanos@KingsportTN.gov

The Hero in You Foundation to provide

$750 in scholarships to elementary
classrooms in honor of local Kingsport
resident Buster Watts. Deadline for
submission is September 30, 2015
The Hero in You Foundation in partnership with Kingsport
Office of Cultural Arts, Kingsport Fire Department and Kingsport
City Schools invites students in grades K–5 to write an essay based
on R. Hero, describing who and why they are inspired by their
hero. 3 essays will be selected for awards by Kingsport Central Fire Station #1.

The Hero in You Foundation, Bunni and Rick Benaron are offering the awards in memory of Buster Watts. Buster recently
worked with Bunni & Rick Benaron who created The Hero in You Foundation which is dedicated to honoring the heroes
in our lives and inspiring kids to want to be a hero in their own life. Kingsport is part of the ‘Dalmatian Nation’ and a very
friendly red and black Dalmatian sculpture, designed by Karen and Tony Barone, can be found at Fire Station #1 on Island
Street in Downtown Kingsport.

Buster Watts was a beloved member of the Kingsport community, a longtime art supporter and an avid community
volunteer. Buster died on May 26 after a lifetime of service to his community. He will be sorely missed.

The Hero in You Foundation will provide $750 in scholarships, to students and elementary classrooms who write the best
description of a person who is a hero to them. A selection of work will be exhibited in The Gallery at City Hall and/or the
Atrium Gallery at the Renaissance Arts Center. The 3 winning essays will be selected by the Kingsport Fire Department.

Contest Details as follows:

Open to School Children K – 5

Students should submit a 3 – 5 paragraph essay explaining who their hero is and why.

Kingsport City Schools Central Office will collect participating essays. Attn: Marybeth McLain.
 Include on essay:
Name of School, Grade, Teacher, Student’s Full Name, Parent’s Name, Phone Number

Deadline for Submission is September 30, 2015. Winners Announced early October.

Kingsport Central Fire Station #1 will judge essays and select 3 winners.

Winning essays will receive an award for the student and the classroom - students will receive a $50 VISA
check card and the students’ teachers will receive a VISA check card for $200 for use in the classroom.

Scholarships/Awards are funded by The Hero in You Foundation, Bunni and Rick Benaron and in
memory of Buster Watts, Kingsport citizen and passionate volunteer who died May, 26, 2015.

For more information on this scholarship opportunity call the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts at (423) 392-8414
or visit them online at www.EngageKingsport.com

For more information on The Hero in You Foundation go to http://www.r-hero.org/the-hero-in-you-foundation.html

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City of Kingsport Mission:

To provide economic, educational and quality-of-life opportunities that create a

safe, vibrant and diverse community.

Office of Cultural Arts, a department of the City of Kingsport, connects, coordinates and
engages the public with a creative community. Programs & partnerships include: Public Art
Kingsport, Art in the Heart Gallery, The Engage Kingsport Performing Arts Series, the
Kingsport Carousel Project and more. They provide a broad range of support to the area’s
arts organizations and individual artists. They work in tandem with Engage Kingsport, a
private 501(c)3 non-profit organization, in order to facilitate their objectives.

The Office of Cultural Arts and Engage Kingsport’s goals are to collaborate with a variety of arts organizations as well as non-arts
organizations, with the aim of increasing opportunities and outlets for artists of all types. As Kingsport and the surrounding communities
become a destination for artists and art enthusiasts, new markets and opportunities emerge. The Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts and
Engage Kingsport are dedicated to cultivating cultural assets and promoting them as vehicles for economic and community development
within our region.

Art Transforms People and Places

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