The Partners in Education committee named the 2006 Business Partners of the Year at a breakfast held by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce May 5 at New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville.

The 2006 Small Business Partner of the Year award was given to Golden K Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City.

Nominated by Huddleston Elementary School, volunteers from this club have been eager and active partners with the school for over 10 years.

Teachers and faculty indicated that the Golden K Club volunteers have impacted over 160 students by coming to the school on a weekly basis, reading to students, and helping make the kids feel special.

In the new Medium Business Partner of the Year category, Chick-fil-A Towne Center in Fayetteville was given the award. They received multiple nominations from schools around the county.

As a Fayette County Board of Education representative said of Chick-fil-A Towne Center, “We know that we can call on them when needed and they always come through.”

This year’s Large Business Partner of the Year recipient was Piedmont Fayette Hospital, recognized for their outstanding contributions to our schools across the county; their involvement with Starr’s Mill High School was spotlighted.

Not only has Piedmont Fayette Hospital given generously through sponsorships of various athletic programs, including a large sponsorship of the football stadium scoreboard, but one of the most significant programs recognized was a health education curriculum.

In this program, hospital staff worked with students to help them gain a real-world perspective of experiences and career opportunities in healthcare through a shadowing and infield training program. According to school officials, the kids love the program and just can’t talk enough about how great it is to learn about real world career options.

There are over 300 active Business Partners in Education in Fayette County, providing a wide range of partnership contributions to local schools. The Partners in Education program is a joint effort of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Fayette County Board of Education. Their goal is to promote participation in and interaction between the business community and Fayette County schools.

The Partners in Education Recognition Breakfast this year featured H. Fenwick Huss, Dean of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University who spoke to the group over breakfast. Sponsors for the event included Delta Community Credit Union, Georgia Power and United Community Bank.

Over 150 representatives from schools, businesses and community organizations gathered to honor the dedicated businesses and organizations that give generously of their time and resources as Partners in Education.

Awards are given annually to one outstanding small and one large organization participating in the Partners in Education program in the community and this year an additional mid-sized company award category was added.

Winners were selected by the Partners in Education committee from businesses and community organizations nominated by participating school partners or by members in the community.

For more information on joining the Partners in Education program, contact the Fayette County Board of Education, phone 770-460-3990 extension 135, or visit the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce Web site at www.FayetteChamber.org.

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