TEN DAYS out of the year, taste, tradition, and Tennessee walking horses combine to create the touchstone of the crowning of the national grand champion. Lines as long — and longer at times — as those at the ticket booths form day and night, not for a peek at an upcoming competitor but for the deep-fried delicacy as iconic as the show itself.
The Shelbyville Optimist Club sells as many as 3,000 donuts per day and over 100,000 by the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration’s end, a testament to the staying power of the secret recipe tucked inside an unsuspecting, cooking-oil-dotted white box. But it’s what you can’t see inside the box that changes the lives of countless Bedford County students.
Brent Pewitt, the Shelbyville Optimist Club’s president, laid a strong foundation for his future by earning undergraduate and graduate engineering degrees from the University of Tennessee. His work involved everything from designing wind tunnels to engine and automotive testing facilities, a parallel to how infrastructure lays the foundation for countless dreams of taking flight.
Pewitt’s donut booth experience goes way back. His earliest days behind the counter instilled a desire to improve the lives of those around him. Traditionally, students affiliated with the various athletics programs work in the booth during the show in exchange for the club’s support of their endeavors.
“I worked there when I was probably 10, working sales at the counter, so I understand how beneficial it is for the younger kids to have that opportunity to learn to interface with people, do the math, and make change,” Pewitt recalled. “At night, we have junior high sports teams come and do the sales work for us.”
Pewitt, now retired, and the club’s members work diligently to engineer a brighter future for local students, ensuring they have the resources to turn their dreams into reality.
Donut sales fund numerous programs for students, including:
Scholarships to graduating seniors at the county’s three high schools
Billy Hix’s STEM outreach to rural schools
Shelbyville-Bedford County Public Library’s summer STEAM program
United Way’s Stuff the Bus program
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Libary through the Shelbyville-Bedford County Public Library
The Warm Coats program at area schools
Pants, socks, and underwear for local elementary schools
In addition, donut sales fund contributions to capital projects such as picnic tables for Eastside Elementary’s outdoor classroom and upgrades to the baseball and softball fields at Shelbyville Central High School. The club also donates equipment and supplies for the Shelbyville Central High School’s football team.
While the donut recipe is top secret, the impact within the community is not. The foundation of service is as old and solid as the 1935 Hobart mixer used by the club and once used in a local bakery.
“I don’t know who developed [the recipe], but George Baker was the guy that had the idea to sell donuts at the walking horse celebration,” Pewitt said.
Donuts? They laughed at the first mention, but no one’s laughing anymore, except with giddy joy as they return to the booth each year. The club’s earliest members built the program and the booth from the ground up.
Pewitt said, “We really need to give a hats-off to those guys. And my dad, Earl Pewitt, was one of them. I won’t try to name the rest who started the ball rolling. Of course, George Baker, as I always say, was our original master distiller for the donuts. Those guys all put in a lot of time and energy to make it a success.”
But you don’t have to devise a big plan to make a significant impact. Surprisingly, it’s not the things and money we donate that go the greatest distance.
“The most important thing you can donate is your time because you can’t make any more time. Everybody’s schedule is really tight these days, but if you make it a priority — think about it in advance and just plan for it and do it — it’s like taking a vacation. Everybody’s schedule is tight, but most everybody works out time for vacation. They just schedule it and do it. Supporting your community, you still have to take the same approach,” Pewitt pointed out.
It’s a watchful approach.
“Focus on community service and making positive improvements. When you see needs in your community and the needs of your fellow citizens, what can you do to help fill that need? If they look around, everybody can see a need in their community.”
And for 10 days a year, every bite of those heavenly donuts helps meet such a need. You now have a valid excuse to buy more donuts this year. You’re welcome! GN
