This milestone year featured new attractions, an expanded setup, and even more activities. Returning by popular demand, the event included the Mountain Mile, a one-mile fun run through the SMMHS campus. The Bash community party was bigger and better than ever, with new inflatables, a brand-new Bash Alley featuring 20+ exciting games and challenges, and a lineup of food trucks offering a variety of delicious options. Whether a returning participant or a first-time attendee, this year’s Dash & Bash was not to be missed.
Over the past decade, Dash & Bash brought Signal Mountain families together. Casey Robertson, a local parent, shared how the event strengthened their connection to the community: “We moved having this vision of what Signal would be, a close-knit small town. One spring, MEF brought us together as a community through Dash & Bash. We went to the event, I volunteered, my family ran around with friends, and I left saying, ‘This is it. This is exactly what I expected Signal to feel like.’ MEF really builds our community through these events to support our schools.”
This year’s event featured over 20 new interactive activities and experiences, student-hosted booths, and an expanded selection of larger and more exciting inflatables. Among the highlights, guests enjoyed balloon art, face painting, a thrilling bungee trampoline, inflatable axe throwing, obstacle course inflatables, bounce houses, and even a stilt walker to amaze and entertain! SMMHS’s theater group brought back the fan-favorite “Lockup,” where attendees could put someone in jail. Additionally, a petting zoo and various activities designed for younger guests ensured there was fun for everyone.
Attendees were delighted by an increased number of food truck vendors, offering a wide variety of options, including burgers, barbecue, burritos, and desserts. Guests who wished to enjoy dinner with the community were welcome to attend without purchasing an activity wristband. Food vendors accepted both cash and credit card payments, and a portion of the proceeds benefited MEF.
The MEF fundraising event lived up to its name, truly being a bash in every sense, with an estimated 2,500 attendees and 600 runners registered and participating. Dash & Bash welcomed all ages, skill levels, and abilities.
The generous support of sponsors played a vital role in ensuring the event’s success. MEF actively sought event-specific sponsors to cover event costs, allowing all funds raised to directly benefit our schools. In addition to event sponsors, MEF Annual Sponsors were essential to this support.
Since its creation, Dash & Bash raised nearly $400,000 for Signal schools, with a net average of about $40,000 annually. Funds raised through the event contributed to the annual MEF grant allocations for Nolan, Thrasher, and SMMHS. Each school determined how to use their funding each year. Traditionally, they prioritized hiring staff for classes and needs not covered by public funding, including STEM, Spanish, Tech/Computers, Tutoring, Intervention, and more. A complete list of what was funded this year by donations to MEF can be found at: https://meftoday.org/
“The DAB is a wonderful event for the community to come together to have fun while supporting our public schools on Signal Mountain,” said Emily Cooper, one of the original organizers of the inaugural Dash and Bash in 2015. “It is like a big block party that brings us together as a community to celebrate our wonderful schools, amazing students and dedicated teachers. It is events like the DAB that make Signal Mountain such a great place to live and raise a family!”
This 10th-anniversary event was a unique opportunity to celebrate and support Signal Mountain’s schools while enjoying an evening of community fun. Whether participating in the run, enjoying the festivities, or simply gathering with friends and neighbors, all were encouraged to attend.
