When it came time to celebrate our 30th anniversary, we weren’t sure how to mark the milestone. Then we looked to our mission and purpose.

Dow Smith Company’s mission is to serve Christ in the marketplace. Our purpose is, simply, to serve.

So while we wanted to acknowledge our anniversary with festivities, we also wanted to serve.

Dow Smith Company Partner & Design-Builder Joey Rhyne had the idea that we should do a service project. Holley Potts, our Director of Well-Being, met with leaders at Smyrna Elementary School about how we could strengthen our partnership there. Project Manager Ryan Sanford had the idea that we could do an event for the school, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

On Friday, September 9, we hosted a Construction Carnival at Smyrna Elementary. The school’s 700 students and their families were invited to come out for dinner and fun. The event had a bouncy castle, slide, face-painting, ring toss, and other activities. The kids got to build bird feeders with the help of our superintendents, got to climb in construction equipment, and they all received plastic hard hats. We served hundreds of hot dogs, chips, and drinks.

We also held a groundbreaking ceremony for the school’s new outdoor classroom/amphitheater, which Dow Smith Company is designing and building.

Smyrna Elementary School Principal Vanessa Ritter said the school is “truly, truly blessed” to have Dow Smith Company as a partner. When Holley first met with Principal Ritter, Holley asked what we could do for the school.

“I said, ‘I want an outdoor classroom/amphitheater so we can have big events,’” Ritter recalled at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Never did I believe that would happen but she came back maybe six months later with more people and gave us the surprise to say Dow Smith will help us make that happen. Tonight, we just want to say thank you for your generosity.”