Knoxville Habitat for Humanity celebrated its 25th year of building simple, decent and affordable houses in Knox County on Friday, August 27. Nearly 300 people came out to the new Northstar Church in West Knoxville to honor the work done by Knoxville Habitat for Humanity and its volunteers throughout the years.

The evening started at 6 p.m. when guests began to arrive and took a tour of the Knoxville Habitat for Humanity virtual "house", a set of 5 vignettes set up to show the past, present and future of the organization. At each station, the guests had the opportunity to win a door prize to fit the theme of each location. In the "kitchen," Whirlpool Corporation donated a Kitchen Aide stand mixer. In the "living room," Bennett Galleries donated silver candlesticks. In the "den", Advanced Office Systems donated a printer. For the "garden", Ironic donated a beautiful planter. And for the "garage," The Home Depot donated a leaf blower.

Once everyone had a chance to visit the displays and mingle in the lobby, while enjoying bluegrass music, sipping drinks like the non-alcholic cocktail "The Blitz," and enjoying southern appetizers like ham biscuits and fried macaroni and cheese, the crowd entered into the main hall. The guests enjoyed a beautiful five-minute video produced by DIY Network in which Habitat staff and volunteers reflected on their involvement with the organization's first 25 years. The video brought tears to the eyes of many before Kelle Shultz introduced Sis Mitchell, the founder of the Knoxville Habitat for Humanity.

Everyone enjoyed dinner while The Davis Mitchell Band entertained on the stage. It was an evening to remember and a fantastic way to celebrate 25 years of service to families in Knox County. Please enjoy these photos from the evening, courtesy of Jim Walker at Jim Walker Photography.