By Merritt Jenkins

On behalf of Buy A Tree. Change A Life. (BATCAL), Lee University’s Dr. William Lamb and Nate Tucker presented a check for $5,000 to CASA, (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Bradley and Polk Counties, a non-profit that works alongside community volunteers to make sure the voices of abused and neglected children are heard in court.

Through a direct partnership with People for Care and Learning (PCL) and Serving Orphans Worldwide, BATCAL fundraising provides education, care, mentoring, food, clothing, and housing for children’s homes, learning centers, schools, families, and feeding programs across the world.

“We were so honored to partner with Lee University for this year’s BATCAL event,” said Christopher Janetzko, CASA’s Executive Director. “Our mission is similar to that of People for Care and Learning, so we were thrilled to join together in a fundraiser that benefited both of our organization’s efforts to help children. We are incredibly thankful to Lee for giving us the opportunity to share more information about CASA with the community through the BATCAL event.”

The donated funds were raised during the BATCAL annual Christmas tree sale held on Lee’s campus in November and December.

“Because of the good will of others during the Christmas season, we are able to help children locally and globally through the tree sales,” said Lamb, director of the Leonard Center and BATCAL co-site director. “We look forward to the 2021 season.”

The check presentation was held at the United Way Office in downtown Cleveland earlier this month.

“It’s not about the tree sales, it’s about changing lives, and partnering with CASA allows us to see that firsthand,” said Tucker, director of IT systems at Lee and BATCAL co-site director. “We thank the Cleveland community and all who contributed to help make a difference.”

For more information about BATCAL, visit buyatreecleveland.com or contact Tucker at [email protected] or (423) 618-6870.

PCL is a non-profit that combines training opportunities to create a holistic, systematic approach to break the cycle of poverty. PCL focuses and operates in five main project areas: Build a City, Sustainable Farming, Common Grounds, Learning Centers, and Children’s Homes.

For more information about CASA, visit casabp.org.

PHOTO: BATCAL presents CASA with a check from recent tree sales. Pictured here (left to right) are Nate Tucker, Dr. William Lamb, Christopher Janetzko, and UWOR AmeriCorps VISTA Christian Schweer.

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