Hargray’s donation: “It takes a village.”

Representatives from Hargray, an internet and telecommunications provider, and Peach County High School staff with various important guests gathered in front of Peach County High School on Thursday morning. The Hargray marketing team had a special surprise donation for the school and presented them with 20 brand new desktop computers along with a $10,000 check.

Chris Lyons, general manager of the middle Georgia market for Hargray, addressed the crowd proudly as he introduced the company’s intentions. “At Hargray, our purpose is to empower people in communities to connect and thrive. Our goal is to help empower Peach County students and teachers to connect their education and have the tools to thrive their development. It’s crucial that students maintain access to their schoolwork during remote learning, and we understand this requires devices and a strong, reliable internet connection. On behalf of Hargray, we would like to present this donation to help close the digital bind that remote learning causes.”

Traditionally, Hargray donates athletic scholarships, but this year, they took a different turn. With COVID changing the tide of almost everything, as we know it, education has been one of the hardest hit areas. Families have been torn between the decision of sending their children to school or to opt for remote learning – both avenues posing significant challenges. When Jo Cobb, president of the Touchdown Club at PCHS, spoke with the Hargray marketing team regarding the annual athletic sponsorship, Lyons described how “Cobb’s passion for providing support and opportunities to students in Peach County High School inspired the team to go above and beyond their yearly athletic sponsorship and provide additional support for Peach County students.” 

Moved by her desire to better the lives of the students, Hargray decided to do what they could to “really fill the need of the school and close the gap” for the students. “Jo’s advocacy let us realize how greatly this type of donation could benefit Peach County families and teachers,” Lyons stated.

Peach County High School alum, James Wade, currently works for Hargray and also attended the presentation. Lyons pointed out that he thought Wade is “an outstanding example” of someone giving back to the community that nurtured him. Hargray stands on the belief that they can provide opportunities for people in communities, give the backbone and the type of bandwidth necessary for kids to remote learn or for kids to work from home. If one child could return to Peach County and give back to the community, they feel they have accomplished their mission and purpose. 

“We’re just trying to make a difference in people’s lives and we do that one child, one home-worker, one person at a time,” Lyons declared.

With the donation, Hargray hopes that this will help Peach County High School have a more interactive classroom. Understanding that everything comes back full circle, Lyons noted, “From education to economic development, a community’s network capabilities are as much a draw for people and businesses as those traditional amenities. It’s my honor to be a part of a company that helps fuel the growth and future of Peach County. …I’m excited to see Peach County High continue developing and supporting their students.”

With the unveiling of the generous donation, Peach County High School Principal Dr. Ken Hartley was moved by the thoughtfulness. “I’m at a loss for words. That kind of took my breath away…kind of choked me up a little bit,” Hartley said with gratitude. “As the old African proverb says, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ And that’s true. It takes a community to help our children at Peach County High School and any school district to be successful.”

Hartley looks forward to building a lifetime partnership with Hargray. “It’s a partnership that we need. The community is the lifeblood to a student being successful. We work really hard to try to build a great relationship with everybody in the community, because it’s all about the kids.”

Hartley looks forward to going forth and utilizing the donation to its highest potential for the sake of the students and their futures. He claims that the monetary donation and the computers will ensure that the students will continue to get the resources they need to be successful.

In attendance of the presentation included Gwynne Lastinger, vice president of the Residential Sales & Operations of Hargray; Chris Lyons, Hargray Communications general manager; Dr. Lionel Brown, superintendent of the Peach County school board; Dr. Ken Hartley, principal of Peach County High School; Jacob Gresham, IT director at Peach County High School; Chad Campbell, head football coach at Peach County High School; Jo Cobb, president of the Peach County Touchdown Club.

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