Ray’s joy of giving told, revives fond RCF times
The late Ray Fisher Jr., who owned Fisher Tire Company Inc., was a principal sight in Farragut and West Knoxville for many years as he operated his family-owned business off Kingston Pike.
However, Mr. Fisher also was known for his generosity, passion and Christian values, which were demonstrated with The Rotary Club of Farragut and Mission of Hope.
While hearing an update on Mission of Hope’s record year in 2020 from executive director Emmette Thompson during RCF’s virtual meeting Wednesday, March 10, the club took time to reflect on Mr. Fisher, who died Sept. 30, 2020, following a stroke.
“Ray developed a love and a passion for the Mission of Hope because of Emmette Thompson,” RCF publicity chairman Tom King said. “And, when Ray Fisher falls in love with you, he really falls in love with you … and he fell in love with ... Mission of Hope and what their mission really is.
“Ray had skin in the game,” he added. “He put himself and his heart into the Mission of Hope. He looked at me and said, ‘How can you not help Emmette Thompson with this mission that he has in rural Appalachia and the lives they touch?’
Mr. Fisher “had a wonderful testimony about the Mission of Hope,” King said.
“He became more than a Mission of Hope friend,” Thompson said of Mr. Fisher. “He became a very dear, personal friend.
“You know, our Tuesday (volunteer) crew got real close to Ray,” he added. “I don’t have to tell you about his faith … you know what a faithful person he was.
“I loved Ray’s humor; I loved his servant heart. Ray, for us, became not only a good supporter, he was passionate about Mission of Hope. He was a great ambassador for what we do.
“We miss him terribly and I know you all do as well. He’s forever a part of what we do.”
MOH scholarships is a cause “Ray Fisher, his company, his wife Jackie and family have supported,” Thompson said.
Regarding Thompson, King said, “This man right here gets inside your heart, and it’s because of the Mission of Hope, through the years and what he does for so many people every year … He is the heart and soul of Mission of Hope.”
Thompson explained Mission of Hope, founded in 1999, provides Christian ministries by delivering clothes, food, toys and school supplies to impoverished families of the rural Appalachian region, which features Upper East Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky, where many of the coal mines had shut down.
Additionally, it assists in repairing existing homes or relocating to other homes, provides scholarships for qualifying students, helps develop skills or expertise to create new or expanded jobs in the area and assists in locating jobs.
When COVID-19 hit, “we had to change everything last year,” Thompson said, adding MOH was shut down for a month, from May 1 to June 1.
“COVID affected some of our employees and volunteers, and we had to cancel our fundraising golf tournament,” he added. “But you know what, we had the largest financial harvest in our history during COVID.”
This year’s annual golf tournament remains on schedule, Thompson added. “I would encourage, you if you want to honor Brother Fisher, to put a team together or sponsor.”
Also in 2020, MOH:
• helped 16 ministries purchase food through Second Harvest of East Tennessee and God’s Pantry Food Bank in Kentucky;
• awarded 19 new scholarships for graduating high school students and has 75 scholars in the fall semester;
• delivered 83 loads of new and used household items, clothing and food to ministries serving at-risk East Tennessee and Kentucky communities;
• and delivered school supplies, backpacks and hygiene items to 30 elementary schools serving 11,000 students.
It is starting a new Outreach/Give-Away Day, in Jamestown starting Saturday, March 27 at the Jamestown Fair Grounds through a partnership with Compassion Ministries.
For more information, visit missionofhope.org.
