Rio Grande Fence Co. Donates Sports Field Fence to G.O.D. International for Annual Good Friday Service Project

Rio Grande Fence Co. of Nashville donated a 560 linear foot 6-foot-high chain link fence to Global Outreach Developments International at their headquarters in Nashville’s historically underserved Hopewell neighborhood in Old Hickory, Tennessee on Good Friday, March 25.

 

"Rio Grande Fence Co. of Nashville was founded by my grandfather, Lee Roy Smith, in 1958. Our Good Friday Service Project annually provides an enduring, visible tribute to the faith and ideals which he did, and we still do, strive to achieve in life and business," said Derek Smith, Rio Grande Fence Co.’s Vice President of Operations and third-generation owner." All 35 of Rio Grande’s employees participated, contributing 201 total service hours over three days of material and site preparation leading up to the completion of the project on Good Friday."

 

To choose this year’s project, Rio Grande reached out to Middle Tennessee’s construction community via email and social media channels for suggestions of worthy causes. One of the first replies received on Twitter was from Mid State Sports Leagues to consider the athletic field at G.O.D. Int’l, a local Nashville community service organization that also operates globally. G.O.D. Int’l serves dedicated neighborhoods by mobilizing, organizing or facilitating programs that meet particular needs related to issues of the area.

 

"Researching it and nine other submitted proposals, I discovered that Derek Bargatze, a high school classmate of mine at Donelson Christian Academy, is a member of G.O.D. Intl’s  instructional faculty.  They converted an abandoned elementary school in Hopewell to their headquarters. We both grew up in Old Hickory. It’s a multipurpose sports field the entire community can use, and I’m a huge sports fan. How this year’s project came together was truly serendipitous," Smith said.

 

Specifically, the sports field provides free access to multiple teams, leagues, and area residents. The new fencing provides perimeter security and peace of mind to a safe, healthy recreational space everyone in the community can enjoy. The project included a 50-foot long piece of navy fence screen custom-ordered with a 5-foot high, 17-foot wide, G.O.D. Int’l logo. The sports facility area had no visible signage prior to this.

 

"We believe in demonstrating through our actions the faith and ethics my grandfather founded Rio Grande Fence upon 58 years ago. Our commitment to quality work and service for our clients and in the community translates into our employees’ quality of life.  How we operate our business and live our lives testifies to our grounding faith that solid principles are the bedrock of everything we do," Smith said.