XENIA — One of the greatest football coaches in the history of Ohio is serving as honorary chair at the Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative’s third annual signature fundraising event, Embrace the Journey, Saturday, Oct. 19, at the former Greene County Career Center campus.

Jim Tressel, who brought five national titles to the state and became the only head coach to win a national title at both levels of Division I college football, said he is looking forward to the annual fundraiser, and that he very much supports the type of work the nonprofit organization is doing in the community.

Tressel, who finished his head coaching career in 2011 with an impressive 229-79-2 record (74.2 percent), also retired in February 2023 as president of Youngstown State after a long-decorated career that distinguishes him among top educators and coaches throughout the Buckeye State.

Because of his recent retirement, Tressel said he looks forward to having more time to support good causes such as Emerge. He said the nonprofit resonated with him deeply because of his background in education and because of the unique ways the organization is helping people in need.

“One of my former players, Kirk Barton, told me about Emerge,” Tressel said during a recent interview with Emerge. “We met down there, and I got to see the amazing things that are happening. Emerge truly is a unique place. Not only are you giving people the support services they need socially, but you’re also giving them opportunities in society to advance their lives.”

This, along with the organization’s efforts to address workforce shortages, he said, made a strong impression on him.

“At the time of my tour of Emerge, I was still the president of Youngstown State University,” Tressel said. “I was in constant conversations with businesses about their workforce needs leading up to this. What piqued my interest was how Emerge was trying to resolve these types of workforce needs. Additionally, Emerge is also giving people a second chance and giving people hope. I had a chance to meet some of the people working there who were impacted. I spoke with some people who shared their stories about their journey and the hope that they have now. Hearing their success stories and how Emerge has blessed them, and their families and given them hope all the while solving a major problem out there — the workforce — to me that’s a huge win-win.”

All of this, he said, has motivated him to support the cause and attend the third annual fundraiser.

“It was so obvious when I met Elaine Bonner and the entire leadership team out there, that this place was special,” Tressel said. “Everyone was passionate about making a difference in other people’s lives and passionate about the work they do. The churches out there were passionate about helping and making a difference. When you get around a group of people who are working towards a common cause — to me it was a no-brainer. I would love to do my part to help.”

In addition to the vocational component Emerge is offering, Tressel said the spiritual component is also essential.

“It also helps that there are people who’ve been there and know what these folks are going through,” he said. “Emerge has a trained clinical team that knows what these folks are going through. And, it has companies that are willing to train them and put them to work! You have it all covered. These companies really do deserve to be recognized. I applaud them for what they are doing.”

Tressel said he, too, is passionate about creating a healthy workforce and extending opportunities to those rebuilding their lives. He said he is equally impressed by the vision of the founders in connecting substance use treatment with workforce development to support success in long-term recovery. He will be speaking more at the event Oct. 19.

In addition to Tressel, an up-and-coming country music star will also be performing at the event.

As a former foster care youth from this area, Jackson Snelling said the mission at Emerge also resonates with him on a deep level. He said he is excited about helping Emerge. Snelling will be performing several songs throughout the evening. At the age of 22, he has already made a name for himself as an accomplished singer-songwriter and pianist from Austin, Indiana. He was a recent contestant featured on national television, on NBC’s “The Voice,” and was on the first Team Reba.

Additionally, Snelling was a 2021 American Idol contestant who went before the judges on national television in March.

Although Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative’s third annual signature fundraising event, Embrace the Journey, is already sold-out, people who are interested in attending can get on the waiting list and those interested in supporting the nonprofit can provide a financial gift or bid on the items at their silent auction.

To view the selection of silent auction items or make a financial gift, click here.

Individuals will need to set up an account to take part in the silent auction.

“This is a good reminder for people who want to attend next year,” said Elaine Bonner, director of philanthropy at Emerge. “Because we sell out so quickly, if you want to come next year, you will want to get your tickets ahead of time. In the meantime, we encourage you to go to event site and make a financial gift or offer on the silent auction to help those seeking to rebuild their lives get to the ‘end zone’ in long-term recovery.”

For more information, to donate or get involved with Emerge, call Bonner at 937-974-6120 or visit https://www.emergerecoverytrade.com/