Lanier Elementary hosts Music Fest

Spirits were high despite cold, windy weather at the Lanier Music Fest, held on Saturday, March 23.

Food trucks and vendors lined the open field next to the school, where attendees could shop and grab a bite to eat. There were also fun fundraising activities, like a pie station where students could pie a teacher, a “jail,” and a raffle.

The centerpiece of the festival was a lineup of live music from bands Robinella, Dixie Highway Band, Johno Clayton, and The Young Fables. The bands were all made up of Lanier Elementary alumni.

This event was the first of its kind for Lanier Elementary. It was the product of the vision of Lanier Elementary STEM teacher Renee Powell, who wanted to be sure teachers at the school had the technology they needed before she retired.

“I was going into classrooms trying to help teachers get their technology boards set up and it’s been a while since we had any new technology like that in our classroom and it’s breaking down and falling apart. I mean, just really bad,” Powell said.

Powell worked with a group of parents to get the event up and running.

“The dedication, love, support and countless hours they have put in has been incredible,” said Lanier Elementary Principal Connie Gennoe

Powell and her team, called Lanier Elementary Technology Campaign, began to brainstorm ways in which they could raise funds for the new technology. They remembered that several Lanier Elementary alumni had formed bands and the Lanier Music Fest was born.

Their goal is to have a new technology board in every classroom.

So far, they have raised enough to supply 14 new boards and need 10 more to reach their goal. It will take $21,000 to purchase the remaining boards, said Powell

Powell hopes the Music Fest will become an annual event.

“My heart has always been Lanier,” Powell said, “This has been my life for the last 18 years.”