KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

While the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival does bring in artists big and small to Coffee County, it also provides an opportunity for local organizations and sports teams to raise funds. 

The Tullahoma Takedown Club tends to have some kind of booth set up at the music festival each year, with this year being no exception as they were not only selling drinks in a booth across the field from Bonnaroo’s biggest stage, they were running the ice truck, slide and the Ferris wheel.

“We’ve been working since Tuesday this week,” outgoing Tullahoma High School Boys Wrestling Coach Sean Adkins said. “We’ve been doing this for around 12 to 15 years.”

Adkins said it seemed that there was more in attendance this year, thus keeping them busy from the time they open to the time they close at night.

“It’s all a good time. We have a lot of good parents and fans that come out to help us,” he said.

The drink booth serves as the Tullahoma Takedown Club’s main fundraiser. The funds raised during the weekend will go to the Takedown Club, which consists of children from kindergarten to high school, and will help with whatever the booster club’s needs like new uniforms, equipment, travel expenses and so on. He said the main thing the club will use the money for is updating and replacing uniforms, as they have already handled their larger expenses like purchasing new mats

“We don’t have any huge expenses this year,” he said.

As for the students getting involved, he said it was good thing as it gets them something to do and keeping them out of trouble.

Adkins noted that students under 18-years-old cannot work and serve alcohol, so they tend to work the ice truck, Ferris wheel and slide. He added that while at first some of them don’t want participate, once they do they are contacting him and asking to pick up shifts.

“They have a good time,” Adkins said.

While getting in and out of the festival can be a challenge, given its size, Adkins said the Tullahoma Takedown Club appreciated the chance to be able to work and raise funds during Bonnaroo.