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The Ministerial Association Temporary Shelter (M.A.T.S) held its Third Annual Family Fun Day event to great success.

The event aimed to entertain the whole family was held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

“Family Fun Day is a community event in which we invite families and their children to come out and enjoy the games and activities while also raising money for the operations of the shelter,” said Angie Johnson, events and marketing coordinator.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of the event,” she said. “Although the numbers aren’t in, we can tell that this has been the most successful fun day we’ve had.

“We had more than 500 people come out and show their support and we are so appreciative to everyone who came out,” she added.

The fun day featured several food trucks, craft vendors, inflatables, face painting and many different activities for all ages.

“We had inflatables, giant Jenga, hoola hoops, cornhole and so many things that the community enjoyed,” Johnson said.

Several local small businesses and community organizations set up tables in support of the event.

“Our vendors were spectacular,” Johnsons said. “We had several nonprofit organizations who came out to support the event and we are so thankful for them. We also had several vendors selling everything from jewelry to home décor.”

Tonya Polidoro, MATS executive director explained the reasoning for bringing this event to the community.

“It’s something the board felt after COVID the community needed,” she said. “I just wanted our community to come out and have a great time with each other… see school friends you haven’t seen in forever and show off your family.”

As the shelter looks to the future it hopes to bring and even bigger fun day to the community next year.

“We look forward to next year and cannot wait to bring this event and make it bigger and better than next year.”

She gives a special thank you to the community sponsors who made the event possible.

“We want to thank our superstar sponsor for the past two years, Amy Shrader, Re/Max Real Estate Ten,” Johnson said. “We also want to thank Citizens National Bank, Blueridge Title Company LLC., Advanced Landscaping Services, A1 Equipment Rentals, Knoxville TVA Credit Union and East TN Prowash LLC.

Johnson thanked the community for its support as the funds from the event will go to help with operation costs for the facility.

“All funds will go towards operation costs and items needed at the shelter and we thank everyone who helped us raise funds.”

Although the shelter had great success with its event the shelter itself is still in need of the community’s support.

The shelter is in need of papers and toilet paper. It is also working to restock its food pantry and with that, the shelter needa canned peas, green beans, whole kernel corn, greens, carrots and some hamburger helper.

In the next coming months MATS will host its ninth Victory Concert on August 19 at 7 p.m. at Manley Baptist Church.

This year Matt Maher will take the stage and tickets cost $35 per person with children 2 and under being free to enter. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased on MATS’ website.

MATS is a proud agency of the United Way of Hamblen County.