Double Impact Nashville founders Craig and Sherri Parrish rescued over 80 discarded chairs from rubble piles outside of homes gutted after flood damage and are coordinating efforts to turn the chairs into artwork to raise funds for flood victims through a CHAIRity Auction.

 

“We saw these monstrous piles of debris everywhere,” said Sherri, “and I looked at Craig and said, ‘We have to take these chairs and rescue them and make them into something beautiful.’”

 

They asked permission from residents before collecting the chairs and enlisted the help of the Nashville Rescue Mission, where they have served meals for three years. At least 25 men in the mission’s recovery program sanitized, sanded and painted the chairs in one week.

 

“The parallels between these men and the chairs are amazing,” said Sherri. “As these men are sanding these chairs, priming them and waiting for them to become new creations, they too are being sanded as God is washing them whiter than snow and transforming them into new creations.”

 

Some of the celebrity artists decorating chairs include Brad Hopkins, former Tennessee Titan, the rock group Kentucky Thunder, Tim McGraw and family, Steve Sullivan of the Nashville Predators and many more.

 

Etta Britt, a singer in the rock band Kentucky Thunder, picked up chairs from the Parrishes’ Green Hills home to decorate with band members. The four women who make up the band plan to incorporate components of the Kentucky Derby, bluegrass music and Louisville Cardinals into their chair designs.

 

“Half of the musicians in this town have lost everything. While some have the resources to replace, most of the guys and gals do not,” Britt said. “With that close to my heart, this is a great way for me to give a little more back.”

 

Brad Hopkins, who began his NFL career in Houston with the Oilers and continued as a member of the Tennessee Titans for more than a decade, not only wanted to paint a chair, but also volunteered to emcee the upcoming auction.

 

“While my family and I did not encounter any flooding, it really hit close to home. We were trapped in our house during the flood,” said Hopkins. “It affected so many people in this community. I just wanted to help out in any way I could.”

 

Photos of the chairs can be viewed on the CHAIRity Auction’s Facebook page.

 

If you are interested in bidding on any of the chairs, the auction will be held at the Belle Meade Plantation on Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 7 PM.

 

Stay tuned for more information, as we will update you on the progress of the chairs and auction.