Community Champion: Jenna King

It’s time to recognize a Community Champion, an honor given to people making a positive impact in the community, in partnership with Leaders Credit Union.

We introduce you to a woman who is helping kids and teens, one stylish step at a time.

Jenna King is the owner of My Best Friend Jenna, a boutique that has been in the Jackson community for more than a decade.

“So I opened My Best Friend Jenna 16 years ago and we started out on Carriage House Drive and that was formerly the highlander building. And there we focused mostly on prom dresses and now that we’ve moved here to our forever location right here beside Madison Downs, we have all kinds of everything for bridal. Bridal gowns, mother of the bride, bridesmaids, tuxedos, of course prom and all the accessories to go with it,” said King.

This year, King produced the 15th annual Lights, Camera, Fashion runway show. An event she started that consists of showcasing beautiful gowns, but also fundraising and mentoring.

“Every year we have the model program, will start typically in September. Girls try out to be a part of it. They’re all rising junior and seniors from West Tennessee–all over West Tennessee,” explained King.

King says the program teaches the young ladies some valuable skills.

“These models–we go through a lot–a lot of preparation for the event, as you can imagine. But they work with the runway instructor. They learn how to carry themselves, posture. They do build confidence along the way, learning how to go and ask businesses and individuals for donations. I mean, that takes it’s a lot of courage,” said King.

Every year, participants have the chance to walk away with scholarships to help them further their education.

“So our top runway model is selected by the celebrity panel of judges. They receive a $5,000 scholarship gifted by my in-laws, Brenda and Ricky King. Our crowd favorite that is selected by the amount of dollars donated to St. Jude, they are also gifted a $5,000 scholarship,” said King.

King says, over the years, they have been able to give back to St. Jude in a big way.

“So we’re very blessed that we’ve been able to donate well over $2 million in the last 15 years,” shared King.

And it’s not just models who get the spotlight on the runway.

“We are so proud of all the different honorees we’ve been able to feature on the runway who are current patients of St. Jude. That is one place that touches everyone and will continue to need our support to be able to hopefully one day you know provide a cure for all of the childhood cancers and there’s still a lot more work to do,” said King.

If you know someone doing good in their community, you can nominate them for the Community Champion award by clicking here.

For more local news, click here.