Wlaf1450LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Sandra “Chig” Cole Brady was appointed president of La Follette High School’s Best of Times IV reunion and needed to generate revenue for the event. So she came up with the idea of selling bricks. It came after seeing some bricks in similar fashion near an old train depot in Georgia. Chig, her nickname from high school, started selling the bricks in 2012 for the 2015 BOT celebration.
In the first phase, 310 bricks were installed in April 2015. The original plan was to have Phase II the same as Phase I but on the opposite side of the gazebo at Seargeant’s Park in Downtown La Follette. Only 134 bricks were sold in four years prompting her to come up with a new design. That was where the idea of the L of bricks originated.
WLAF’s Charlie Hutson shares an up top look at the new L design of bricks celebrating many who were associated with the former La Follette High School.
The bricks were ordered in February 2020, but due to the pandemic, production was delayed. The bricks arrived in the middle of April. However, the park was closed, and they were unable to put them down until the park reopened. By the time that happened, the weather was so hot that she decided to wait for cooler temperatures.
From the LHS Class of ’73, Chig Cole and family members completed Phase II of the
BOT IV fundraiser. (PHOTO COURTESY OF GAIL NANCE)
Chig and her husband Nathan, along with her sister Gail Nance and husband Ronnie, helped build the forms, pour the concrete and lay the bricks in both phases. Phase II was completed this week.
Many associated with La Follette High School over the years are honored and remembered in Seargeant Park with a brick.
In the meantime, Chig has resigned from the brick ordering fund raiser. Fellow LHS alum Gail Herron Brown will continue the fund raiser.
Chig expresses her appreciation to Johnny Byrge, LaFollette parks and recreation director. She said the city was right there to help. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 10/28/2020-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)