Established as a nonprofit in 2003 by Terry Kinard, the Foundation has continued to grow and expand its impact over the last 20 years to include the Frenship Employee Emergency Relief Fund (FEERF) to assist Frenship staff struggling with financial crisis, Character Scholarships for Frenship seniors, and Teacher Grants that help fun innovative programs, lessons, and technology across the district. Since its creation, the Foundation has proudly awarded more than $1.5 million to students and staff.   

“We are so proud of the work of our past board members and the generosity of our community partners. The Foundation is successful today because of Terry’s vision, the continued dedication of dozens of board members, and the support of our donors over the last 20 years,” said Tiffany Taylor, Frenship Foundation Executive Director. “As we celebrate 20-years, we also thought it was important to support our Frenship community and local businesses within our district.  

The 20 Year Anniversary Celebration presented by West Texas Land Guys was held at Prima Vista, an event center within the Frenship district, and featured the lively 11-piece party band Sound Society. Vendors who helped create the perfect set up included Frenship parent or alumni owned businesses like the Grinnery, Gayle’s Event Rentals, Café Venture, and JD Harvey Designs, who was also a Frenship Foundation Character Scholarship recipient.  

“We are also so grateful for the many local businesses who donated items for us to auction off. We even had a brand-new 2023 Polaris Ranger that was donated by Lubbock Family PowerSports,” said Taylor. “Thanks to the generosity of our local businesses, we were able to raise more than $60,000 just through our bid board and live auction that will help us fund Teacher Grants and Character Scholarships.” 

In addition to enjoying a night filled with live music and great food, the Foundation also honored several special people during the 20 Year Anniversary. Terry Kinard was presented the Founder’s Award for his work on establishing the Foundation back in 2003 and for continuing to lead and grow the organization for almost a decade.  

Katrina Smith, a current Frenship Middle School teacher going into 31 years of education, was also honored for being one of the first families assisted by the Foundation when her late husband and Frenship elementary principal, Doug Smith, was recalled to the military in 2003. 

To honor dedicated donors and supporters, the Foundation gave its first Legacy Award to Linda and George McMahan. The McMahans have faithfully donated to the Foundation every single year since it was established, impacting numerous students and staff since 2003.  

The Foundation also surprised Rhonda Dillard, Frenship ISD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, with the Excellence in Service Award. Dillard is the longest serving Foundation board member and has served all 20 years since it was created.  

“Our goal for this celebration was to have a big party. We wanted our teachers, community members, and donors to have fun, dance, and just enjoy themselves, but we also wanted to honor the past work of our donors and those who have stood by us for 20 years,” said Taylor. “That’s why it was so important for us to honor people like Terry, Katrina, Rhonda, and the McMahans. They are such a significant part of our history, our legacy, and we were so proud to recognize their impact at our celebration.” 

For more information on the Frenship Foundation, their initiatives, and how to donate, CLICK HERE.