Outstanding Volunteer Fundraisers Award
The McNabb Center team was honored to attend the National Philanthropy Day celebration hosted by the Great Smoky Mountain Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The event recognizes individuals and organizations whose generosity and leadership strengthen East Tennessee.
This year, we are proud to celebrate Ford Little and David Wedekind, recipients of the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraisers Award, for their service as committee co-chairs of the Elevate Recovery High School Capital Campaign. 
Alongside McNabb Center Foundation committee members, Ford and David led the vision of expanding Tennessee’s first public recovery-based high school into reality. Their efforts helped raise $9.25 million, the largest fundraising campaign amount in the Center’s 77-year history!
A new, stand-alone 13,000-square-foot facility is being constructed next to the school’s current location on the John Tarleton campus. Once operational, it will meet the needs of teens working hard to stay on track academically while receiving recovery treatment and support.
Elevate Recovery High School allows students to continue their education while participating in intensive outpatient treatment for substance use disorder. The expanded facility will include three classrooms, treatment spaces, a student lounge and an outdoor classroom all created intentionally for learning, healing and development.
The need for this program continues to grow. Elevate’s current space serves twenty students, but this new building will allow the program to expand its capacity to 60 students. This increase will give more opportunities to teens who deserve the chance to forward their education while concurrently remaining in recovery.
As a Knoxville native, Ford Little is a respected attorney whose career has been marked by professional excellence and dedicated community service. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation and has supported a wide range of philanthropic organizations across East Tennessee.
Ford’s thoughtful leadership, steady guidance and belief in the mission of the McNabb Center and Elevate were influential in helping the campaign reach its goals while connecting to the community.
David Wedekind’s relationship with the McNabb Center began with a tour of the Centerpointe facility nearly two decades ago. During his career and after his retirement as a trial lawyer, David and his wife, Gail, have remained committed supporters of the Center’s work. They continue to be compassionate advocates for expanding programs and care across the region knowing the need for mental health services is universal to all.
David has served two terms on the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation Board of Directors, which included one as the board chairman. David can be seen at McNabb fundraising events, meetings and throughout Knoxville explaining McNabb Center services and programs to others.
Ford Little and David Wedekind have helped transform what recovery can look like for high school students. Their determination and drive have allowed the McNabb Center to further invest in the future of young people through the Elevate program.
From all of us at the McNabb Center, it is with heartfelt gratitude that we thank Ford Little and David Wedekind for their generosity, guidance and commitment in accomplishing the expansion of Elevate Recovery High School.
