Featured image (pictured, from left): Tonia Daniel, retail sales agent with Suddenlink Communications/Altice; Autumn Raviscioni, director of Our Father’s Table; Ronald Mergy, instructor at Batesville High School; Candace Kirkendoll, communications community engagement specialist with Suddenlink Communications; Cadin Edgin, 10th grader; Sarah Winkle, 11th grader; Ty Duncan, 10th grader; Emi Lampton, 11th grader; Daniel Valencia, 12th grader; David Campbell, BHS principal; Jenny Massey, vice president for Suddenlink Communications; and Laura Howard, BHS career coach.
Representatives from Suddenlink Communications recently presented a check from the company’s Charity Champions to help with a program at Batesville High School that helps feed the needy with the assistance of automated agricultural devices.
The school will utilize funds raised to help with the purchase of two FarmBots in the school’s greenhouse.
FarmBots are devices secured to raised plant beds that the students will program to plant and care for produce food. The food grown will go to the local program, Our Father’s Table.
BHS instructor Ronald Mergy says the project will be a collaboration between Career and Technical Education (CTE) students enrolled in nutrition and wellness and robotics students at BHS.
Students involved in the setup of the program include Ty Duncan from CTE, Cadin Edgin from robotics, Emi Lampton from CTE, Daniel Valencia from CTE and Sarah Winkle from CTE.
The students will develop routines that two classes of approximately 20 students each will follow each week to support the community outreach program.
“Suddenlink is proud to partner with Batesville High School’s agriculture club and Our Father’s Table,” a Suddenlink representative said in a release announcing the donation. “As a technology-focused company, we fully recognize how important it is to inspire and support future innovators. Altice USA’s Charity Champion program is a way we can support initiatives such as this to give back to our communities.”
“This is a great program to encourage high school students to volunteer and support their local communities,” said Candace Kirkendoll, communications community engagement specialist with Suddenlink Communications. “With this program, we donated $250 as seed money to help kick off or support any fundraising efforts by the agriculture club, and we also donated $1,000 to Our Fathers Table on behalf of Batesville High School.”
Suddenlink Communications is an American telecommunications subsidiary of Altice USA which specializes in cable television, high-speed internet, broadband phone, home security, and advertising.
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