First Lady Maria Lee and Gov. Bill Lee celebrated more than 100 Tennessee students and their families at the final Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge Carnival of the Lee administration.
The carnival was held at the Tennessee Governor’s Residence and recognized students for their service during the summer.
The Governor and First Lady met with participants and their families, congratulating the children on their service and encouraging them to continue giving back to their communities. The event featured carnival games, prizes, snacks, appearances by local sports team mascots and remarks from the Governor and First Lady.
“Bill and I have been blessed to see thousands of young Tennesseans use their time and talents to serve others over the past eight years,” First Lady Maria Lee said. “We pray that this challenge has ignited a spark inside each student, inspiring them to continue their love of service for years to come.”
The 2026 challenge marked the eighth annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge, part of the First Lady’s Tennessee Serves initiative. The program encouraged Tennessee students to spend part of their summer serving others.
More than 650 students took part in this year’s challenge, completing 2,796 hours of service across 54 counties.
Since the challenge began in 2019, 10,478 students from all 95 Tennessee counties have participated, contributing more than 18,087 hours of service.
“Maria has led Tennessee Serves with a heart for communities across our state,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “For eight years, the Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge has helped teach children from a young age the joy of serving others.”
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