Libby’s Legacy: Chattanooga Valley community love helps build playground in memory of wife (video)

Oct. 16--Janel Ellison Webb still lives by advice her second-grade teacher at Chattanooga Valley Elementary School gave her 15 years ago.

"I used to write when I was younger, and Libby Gilley was so positive and encouraging," recalls the 23-year-old Webb. "She really cared where you were going, and her students could tell that. She gave me an old key one day, and she said, 'If you take this key, you can unlock anything you want in life. Put your heart in it and you'll accomplish anything.'"

Libby Gilley succumbed to breast cancer in March, but her husband wants to see that her love for children lives on.

Barry Gilley has raised more than $50,000 toward his goal of building a community playground that will be the first of its kind in Chattanooga Valley. He's named the fund Libby's Living Legacy because the playground will stand as a reminder of his late wife's interaction with her students and the lasting impact she had on so many lives in the Flintstone, Ga., community.

With the help of many friends, area businesses and the Chattanooga Valley Lions Club, he hopes to raise the $30,000 balance of the playground's $80,000 price tag with a raffle of his late wife's renovated Toyota Land Cruiser.

"The goal is to raise enough money to build and maintain a community playground and pavilion on the campus of her church, Chattanooga Valley Church of the Nazarene, that will honor her life and her love of children," he says.

Gilley says his wife's career as an educator began at Howard Elementary School. For a half dozen years, she taught kindergarten through fourth grade at Graysville Elementary School in Catoosa County, Ga., before spending eight years in grades kindergarten through third at Chattanooga Valley, where she earned Teacher of the Year honors.

"Libby stopped teaching professionally after our sons were in high school," he husband said, but even through her five-year battle with breast cancer "she continued teaching children at church until she was admitted to the hospital on New Year's Day of this year."

PITCHING AN IDEA

Gilley says he introduced the idea of a building a playground to honor her teaching legacy in November 2013 -- which she promptly vetoed. She thought it too egotistical.

"Libby was unsure at first; she was afraid people would think it was self-serving because her name was on it," recalls Helen Hawkins, a friend since 1980 and school secretary at Chattanooga Valley Elementary. "We had that discussion and clarified it was not. Children were her passion. Each was special to her, that's where her heart was."

Once convinced, the teacher gave her husband input into her dream playground.

"Lots of swings -- all her life she loved swings," Gilley says. "Other than that, she wanted an arrangement where small kids had an area and larger kids had an area. When we went to a playground, she would watch and see which items the children enjoyed most and that's how she picked what she wanted."

Gilley says word of his project began to spread when his wife was hospitalized for two weeks in January. Friends, former students and church members called, asking him how they could help. Some suggested placing collection jars in Chattanooga Valley businesses to help pay expenses.

"I said I had good insurance but, if they wanted to help, we were thinking of building a playground and they could donate to that," Gilley recalls.

In his wife's obituary, playground donations were requested in lieu of flowers.

"That's how the bulk of the $50,000 came in initially," he says. "Then contributions began to dwindle. I told my son we needed a little more money, and I thought I'd sell her vehicle. He suggested updating the Land Cruiser and making it a fun project."

OUTPOURING OF LOVE

Gilley says he has been stunned by the display of compassion shown him by friends and strangers alike to accomplish his $80,000 dream.

While Gilley was discussing his project and pricing with executives at PlayCore, the local playground manufacturing business, the company CEO heard about the memorial to his wife.

"He came in after hearing about it, and the company discounted a lot of the material to help."

The Gilleys' church, Chattanooga Valley Church of the Nazarene, agreed to let the playground be built on its property and to handle donations to Libby's Living Legacy as a line item under its nonprofit status.

"Because the Gilleys are such an integral part of our church and have always been interested in ministry in the community -- an outreach that is such an important part of the church -- it seemed like a natural fit to build the playground here," says the Rev. Jon Bemis, pastor of Chattanooga Valley Church of the Nazarene.

Bemis says any funds that come in are designated solely to the playground, not church operational expenses.

The Chattanooga Valley Lions Club agreed to handle the Toyota's raffle; Gilley is not a member, but he has several friends who are.

"It was important to me to keep the Libby's Living Legacy fundraising effort through our church and the raffle separate," says Gilley, "in order to keep there from being any relationship, or even the appearance of a relationship, between the church and a game of chance."

Retha Nelson, the Lions Club member who is handling raffle publicity, says the drawing has received a positive response from the Flintstone community. She estimates 175 of the raffle's 300 tickets have been purchased.

"A lot of people are very supportive of this process because we are unincorporated with no property for the community, so this will be a first," she says. "We're not a very fast-growing community. We don't have a grocery, not a lot of growing subdivisions, it's still pretty rural here. So this playground with a pavilion is a big step for us. It's something I think will be well used, benefit our children and show that our community is supportive of families."

Gilley credits Corky Coker of Coker Tire Co. and his automotive colleagues with turning the Land Cruiser -- a "mommy car" -- into a lifted, tricked-out, adventure vehicle complete with new parts, new tires, winch, roof rack and custom graphics.

"Corky is a family friend. After Libby passed away, he was in the office one day and said he wanted to do something for Libby," recalls Gilley. He shared his dream playground with Coker, then talked to him about the idea of updating the Toyota.

"Corky said, 'Put together a wish list of everything I could want on a vehicle,' and let him send a letter to his friends," recalls Gilley.

Within three days of the letters' mailing, Gilley received a set of five "huge swamp tires" from Interco Tire Corp.

"I sent the president of Interco an email and said I couldn't believe he sent tires when he didn't even know me," Gilley says.

That was the first of a largesse that has included new parts -- some donated, some discounted. Mild to Wild Graphics in Ringgold, Ga., donated custom graphics and decals and the Land Cruiser's wrap.

"We can't do a lot of donations because we get so many requests," says Mild to Wild owner Brent Jeno. "But with them, it was close to my heart. My mom and a real good friend had breast cancer, too. The story of his raising money to build a playground I thought was a really good idea."

Gilley says Paul Roland of Hammer Down Construction called when he heard about the project and volunteered his time to put the playground together.

"Then he called back and said two of his lead men also wanted to donate their time for the cause. He said they would put in the harder stuff if I could get volunteers to help them on the final day."

The build is scheduled for two Saturdays, Nov. 8 and 15, with volunteers needed Nov. 15, Gilley says.

Bemis says the church's service on Sunday, Nov. 16, will focus on its ministry to the community, followed by lunch and a dedication of the playground.

"Libby would be awestruck by the amount of contributions. She was so humble, she never would have imagined this kind of response," Gilley says.

Contact Susan Pierce at [email protected] or 423-757-6284.

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