On Friday, August 28, the community that had gathered for a great night of high school football was also treated to a very special event: Formal dedication of the newly renamed TCU Freed Field at Penn High School.

In a brief ceremony before the 7:30 p.m. kick-off, P-H-M Superintendent Jerry Thacker stood with Teachers Credit Union President and CEO Paul Marsh, and Mari Linn Wise, executive director of the P-H-M Education Foundation, to proudly celebrate the continuance of the organizations’ long-standing partnership.

Joining Thacker, Marsh, and Wise on the field was Associate Superintendent Dr. Denise Seger and members of the P-H-M Board of School Trustees: Vice President Larry Beehler, Gary Fox, Randy Leliaert and Jamie Woods. P-H-M Education Foundation Board President Jody Bruetman and Past President Tom Meilstrup were also recognized along with representatives from Penn High School.

  

  

P-H-M and TCU’s partnership dates back to 1966—P-H-M was TCU's first Direct Deposit relationship. TCU has also partnered with the P-H-M Education Foundation for the past 20 years supporting a variety of events along with co-curricular student activities such as Penn Robotics. All three organizations are excited about the opportunities and the long term impact this new partnership will have on our communities. This continued partnership does not simply grant naming rights for the TCU Freed Field; more importantly, it gives us the opportunity to empower the students, their families and our communities with the financial literacy tools that will impact their future. The partnership between TCU and P-H-M relates back to TCU's commitment to our membership and our communities, and we look forward to serving both as this relationship grows and allows us to provide services beyond the naming of the field. Read more about the partnership from the June 2015 announcement.

The evening only got better as Penn’s varsity football team gained their second regular-season win. Led by head coach Cory Yeoman, the Kingsmen handed the visiting Merrillville a 31-12 defeat.

Another highlight was a lively half-time performance by the 200+ Marching Kingsmen. The band and color guard took the field to present the first portion of their show, “Bloom.” They will continue to develop the show in rehearsals and at home games in preparation for upcoming regional and state competition.

If you were not one of the several thousand people in attendance on Friday the 28th, we invite you to drive behind the high school the next time you are in the vicinity to view the new signage at TCU Freed Field.  You will see the familiar red TCU logo standing proudly alongside the Penn Kingsmen emblem, representative of a community partnership that goes far beyond football and finance.

Thank you, TCU, for your commitment to the Penn-Harris-Madison community!