With a strong focus on honoring local military heroes, Southwire hosted a record-setting Community Day on Saturday, October 1, in Carrollton, Georgia. Headlining the entertainment for this year’s event was country music entertainer, award-winning TV host and military veteran, Craig Morgan.

The day began with Electronics Recycling, Southwire’s semi-annual partnership with Keep Carroll Beautiful, created to keep worn, unwanted electronics out of landfills. The event marked nearly a decade since the partnership began and the milestone of more than one-million pounds of e-waste collected through the west Georgia-based effort.

“We at Keep Carroll Beautiful are proud to announce that our fall e-recycling was a huge success,” said Lindsay Pfau, executive director of Keep Carroll Beautiful. “Thanks to the continued support of Southwire, as well as the help from our generous sponsors, we are confident that we met our goal of one million pounds recycled. Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered their time and came out to donate their used electronics.”

Continuing the momentum of the day, Southwire’s Charity Cruise-In featured a record-setting 111 cars, trucks, motorcycles and other automobiles. Owners of these vehicles and members of the community gathered in downtown Carrollton to show off their classic, new or unique rides and enjoy the atmosphere with friends and family. During the cruise-in, interested attendees were also provided with the opportunity to take a shuttle to Southwire for plant tours, write letters to active duty military servicemen and servicewomen, enjoy live music and more.

All events throughout the day were provided at no-cost to the community, but the opportunity to give back was extended through raffles and other donation opportunities. All proceeds were contributed to the American Warrior Garage, a non-profit organization engaged in the restoration of vehicles for the benefit of wounded service personnel and veterans. More than $6,000 was collected through this effort.

“It was incredible seeing so many volunteers and community members come together to make these events such a success,” said Kristian Whittington, Project GIFT coordinator and Southwire’s manager of employee engagement and communication. “Things like this don’t just happen on their own. It takes a lot of people who are willing to donate their time in order to see each piece through, and I’m thankful that we have so many of those people at Southwire and within the west Georgia community.”

The day culminated with a powerful tribute to local veterans and active duty military, which featured the presentation of colors by Carroll County Air Force JROTC, national anthem by the Celebration Brass Quartet and a military tribute, which recognized Southwire employees from each branch of the military.

“I was very proud to take part in honoring our veterans,” said Stanford Smalls, Southwire paralegal and U.S. Army veteran. “It was a humbling experience to see a community that is so appreciative of the sacrifices our military has made on their behalf.”

In addition to Smalls, other Southwire employees who were acknowledged during the tribute include: Diane Thurman, U.S. Navy; Chris Butler, U.S. Coast Guard; Lauren Cheatwood, U.S. Air Force; and Andrew Johnson, U.S. Marines.

The evening’s festivities concluded with an opening act by U.S. Marines veteran and American Idol favorite, Josh Gracin, and a riveting performance by Craig Morgan, a country music icon, TV host, celebrated outdoorsman and patriotic U.S. Army veteran. Morgan performed many of his signature hits including “Bonfire,” Almost Home,” “International Harvester,” “This Ole Boy,” and the six-week #1, “That's What I Love About Sunday.”

“This year’s Community Day was a great success, and the focus on honoring our military heroes really elevated our commitment to one of Southwire’s largest geographical footprints: West Georgia,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire’s president and CEO. “Every piece of the event – from the recycling efforts to the cruise-in to the concert – tied back to that same theme. I believe that it is extremely important to show our appreciation to our families and friends in the community through events like this one. It matters."