The Coca Cola Company has supplied Bethel with refreshments since the early 1970s; however, the people of Coke are what truly made this community partnership special for so many years.
Richard Floyd worked with Coke for many years as the Sales Manager for Chattanooga. During his time with Coke, he served as a member on Bethel’s board and played in the annual Bethel Golf Classic. Richard served Bethel in many capacities with the help of his team Terry Broome, Brenda Flynn, and Gale Pace. Additionally, Tony Killen, who recently retired from Coke as the Key Account Manager, enjoyed ten years serving Bethel along with the community relations team to ensure the partnership remained strong.
In 2023, Tony proposed a partnership with Ruby Falls and Rock City to complete a service project for Bethel Christian Academy. All three companies fully funded the creation of a garden immediately adjacent to the school. Lesson plans were created to teach the kids about irrigation for the garden. Since last Spring, the garden has produced a bountiful harvest and continues to serve as an educational opportunity for the students.
Coke has historically been a part of community development in Chattanooga and Tony expressed his own motivation for becoming an ambassador for Bethel. “The neatest thing that I saw was the Christian environment and the love that everyone has for the kids,” Tony explained. “I wanted to do something that was going to make an impact.”
As Tony retired, he ensured that Coke would maintain a positive brand ambassador for Bethel. Lawrence Edwards, Business Development Manager, stepped into the role in 2023. Kristy Donoho, Community Events Specialist, and Lawrence have ensured Bethel is well supported financially and equipped for large events.
Tony shared on behalf of the Coca Cola Company that they are thankful to be a part of the Bethel family. “I think what Bethel has done to impact the partners at Coke, is that we get to see that the kids are prepared to be productive citizens as they grow,” Tony expressed. “It takes everyone in our community to create this operation for the kids and to make a difference in their lives.”