Photo: Crystal Sutton, executive director at Morning Pointe of Athens, center, with 2024’s second-place winners from Sweetwater Hospital, left to right: Terry Knight, Cory Sutton, and Chris McConkey
For Chris McConkey, a scholarship from the Morning Pointe Foundation was more than just financial aid—it was a life-changing opportunity. Now a nursing leader at Sweetwater Hospital, McConkey is giving back by supporting the very cause that helped launch his career.
A Scholarship That Changed Everything
McConkey received a nursing scholarship from the Morning Pointe Foundation while attending TCAT Athens in 2016. At the time, he and his wife were raising two young children, and finances were tight. He worked part-time as a firefighter while pursuing his licensed practical nurse (LPN) certification.
“It was a blessing for our family at the time,” McConkey shared. “Nursing was really an opportunity that the Lord had opened up for me.”
Since earning his degree, McConkey has served in multiple departments at Sweetwater Hospital. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he temporarily worked in infection control for the state before returning to the hospital, where he now serves as infection control and performance improvement director.
He’s also become a regular at the Morning Pointe Foundation Mastering Memory Care Golf Tournament, joining the Sweetwater Hospital team in support of the scholarship fund that once supported him.
“It’s a good collaborative effort,” he said. “I feel like Crystal [Sutton, executive director at Morning Pointe of Athens] does a good job putting the tournament together. It’s a good opportunity to get together with other members of the wider community, network, and support a worthy cause.”
Golfing to Give Back
The 7th Annual Morning Pointe Foundation Mastering Memory Care Golf Tournament will take place on Tuesday, June 25, at Springbrook Golf & Country Club in Niota, Tennessee (123 Country Club Road). Hosted by Morning Pointe of Athens, this event raises funds for the Foundation’s caregiver education and clinical scholarship programs benefiting nursing students at:
- TCAT Athens
- Tennessee Wesleyan University
- Cleveland State Community College
Event Schedule:
• 7:30 a.m. – Registration and breakfast
• 8:30 a.m. – Shotgun start
• 1:00 p.m. – Luncheon and awards banquet
There are still openings for golfers, sponsors, and prize donors. In addition to multiple teams, sponsors include Presenting Sponsor Citizen’s Bank, Cart Sponsor East Tennessee Pharmacy Services (ETPS), Hole-in-One Sponsors Hearth Hospice and Hospice of Chattanooga, and Marketing Signage Sponsors Starr Regional Medical Center and Adoration Hospice. Several other team sponsors have signed up as well.
To register or donate, contact Crystal Sutton at 423-836-3317 or Athens-ed@morningpointe.com.
Last year’s event raised a record-breaking $18,800, and this year’s goal is to surpass that milestone.
“Chris is a wonderful example of how the monies raised in the tournament make a difference for real people and families here in our community,” said Crystal Sutton. “We can’t wait to see everyone at this year’s tournament.”
About Morning Pointe
The Morning Pointe Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living. Founded in 1997 by Tennessee healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living operates 42 assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five southeastern states, including several in the Chattanooga and Knoxville areas. For more information, visit morningpointe.com.
