Kiss the Pig

Fundraiser & Lunch

What’s the event?

Wait… “Kiss the Pig”?

Yep. Exactly what it sounds like. We’re taking Valentine’s Day, a holiday built entirely on romance and questionable expectations, and adding a pig. Because nothing says “I support community education, makers, and kids’ creative programs” quite like watching one brave soul pucker up for pork.

This classic fundraiser is simple: A group of community members get nominated. Every dollar donated = one vote. Whoever raises the most money has to kiss the pig. In front of everybody. At lunch. On Valentine’s Day. Because love is messy. And fundraising can be too.

List of Nominees - Who's Going to Kiss the Pig?

A.k.a. the heroes (or victims?) of this fundraiser. These fine upstanding members of our community have banded together to help make sure that UC Makerspace and Imagine Foundry will continue to have a home to offer

Johnny Blayze

Exec. Director | UC Makerspace

Dr Jessa Hershner

Exec. Director | Imagine Foundry

Andrea Kruszka

Asst. Director | TN Tech Center for Rural Innovation

Johnny Blayze

Exec. Director | UC Makerspace

Chad Day

Candidate | Putnam County Clerk

Andrea Kruszka

Asst. Director | TN Tech Center for Rural Innovation

Why We're Doing This

UC Makerspace and Imagine Foundry are officially losing our building in July, the shared home where the community kitchen runs, where hundreds of kids have built robots and art projects, and where we’ve been laying the groundwork for the Upper Cumberland’s first full-scale makerspace.

We’re not giving up. But we are in the middle of an all-hands-on-deck mission to secure our next home.

This event helps us do exactly that:

Keep Imagine Foundry’s programs alive and running
Keep the community kitchen operational
Continue building toward the region-shaping facility the Upper Cumberland deserves
Rally the community with a fundraiser that’s way more interesting than a bake sale

Every dollar raised through votes goes directly to relocating both organizations and maintaining programming during the transition.

PORCINE INFORMATION

How the Fundraiser Works

Voting is open NOW. Every dollar donated to a nominee is one vote toward sending them straight to the pig.

The rules:

$1 = 1 vote
Votes may be cast online or in-person
All votes count toward the nominee’s total
Highest total wins the kiss
Lower totals get to watch smugly from the crowd
All proceeds support UCM & IF relocation and programming

Voting stays open until the live countdown at the lunch event.

Join Us for the Finale Luncheon!

Join us for:

Good food
Good company
Questionable decision-making
A countdown that may ruin someone’s lunch
Photo ops with the pig (and possibly the loser)
Sponsor acknowledgments
A room full of people doing exactly what a community should do: showing up for each other

The event runs 12–2 PM. The pig-kissing ceremony happens near the end.

How You Can Support Us

Vote for your favorite nominee
Buy a lunch ticket
Share the event (especially the embarrassing parts)
Sponsor the showdown
Show up on Valentine’s Day and cheer
Bring tissues for the winner

Why Your Support Matters

This event isn’t just silly… it’s survival. It’s community.

It’s how we keep Imagine Foundry open for kids. It’s how we keep UCM’s programs alive during transition. It’s how we show that the Upper Cumberland takes care of its own.

And honestly? It’s going to be hilarious.

From all of us at UC Makerspace and Imagine Foundry… Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.