Chamber Celebrates 40 Years of Adopt-A-School
August 1, 2025
More than 400 business and education leaders attended the 40th Anniversary Adopt-A-School Kickoff, presented by Children & Teen Dental of Alabama and Boostr Digital Displays, held Thursday, July 31, at Bryant Conference Center.
Hosted by The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, the event marked the start of the 2025-26 Adopt-A-School program year and celebrated four decades of impactful partnerships between local schools and the business community.
As part of the program, The Chamber recognized several longstanding Adopt-A-School partners whose continued commitment to local education exemplifies the program’s enduring impact.
Phifer Incorporated was honored with a 40-Year Award for its partnership with Westlawn Middle School, a relationship that has remained intact since the program’s inception in 1985.
Also receiving 40-Year Awards were BFGoodrich, Northport Medical Center, and Shelton State Community College for their decades of involvement.
The 20-Year honorees included Tiger Rock Martial Arts of Northport; Tuscaloosa Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Matthews Elementary School; Northport Medical Center and Flatwoods Elementary School; Stillman College and Central Elementary School; and ZF Foxconn Chassis Modules and Echols Middle School.
Marking a decade within the program, the 10-Year Awards included Walmart Supercenter #0715 and Southview Elementary School; BFGoodrich and Martin L. King, Jr. Elementary School; Chick-fil-A Northport and Faucett-Vestavia Elementary School; NorthRiver Yacht Club and Rock Quarry Elementary School; and AFFLINK and Myrtlewood Elementary School.
Dr. Clarence Sutton Jr., superintendent of Huntsville City Schools and former Central (Tuscaloosa) High School Principal, delivered a powerful keynote address focused on empowering educators and reinforcing the impact of community support in education.
“Let’s continue to support education, because we’re changing lives one day at a time,” said Sutton.
For more information about the Adopt-A-School Program or to get involved, contact Carolyn Tubbs at carolyn@westalabamachamber.com or visit westalabamachamber.com/AAS.
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