Labor(s) of Love

by Jonan Keeny

Tom Major’s accomplishments as an entrepreneur in our area are commendable. And when you learn that he did it all for his wife, Sherryl, and you hear the whole story, you realize how his love for her and her love for Tiger intersect into a beautiful tale of reimagining something old and reinventing it for a modern age.

The way Tom tells it, Sherryl, who is from Tiger, is “quite a gal.” His face lights up as he says this, and yours would too, that’s how infectious this man’s smile is! “She has the inspiration and my job is to execute,” Tom tells me. And execute he does! In addition to expanding Sherryl’s grandparent’s home into Cannonwood Village, an assisted living facility that houses 28 units that Tom calls his “pride and joy,” the Majors also run the Tiger Drive-In Theater right next door. The Tiger Drive-In has been in Sherryl’s family for a long time. Her father ran it beginning in 1954 before closing it in 1984. This coming January, Tom and Sherryl will have been running it for an additional twenty years! And don’t think it’s just any old drive-in theater. Yes, they have movies, of course, but many of the movies they show are incorporated into events for the whole community. For example, there was a Cardboard Box Car event in which children created their own vehicles from cardboard boxes, the movie “Gran Turismo” was paired with a Classic Car and Hot Rod Night, the Foxfire movie night incorporated live music by Jake McCrackin along with Foxfire demonstrations, and the theater has also hosted a UGA tailgate! They hosted a fundraiser for FAITH when they aired the new Barbie movie. And have you heard about the Tiger Artisan Crafts and Flea Market at Tiger Drive In? It’s a weekly event held on Saturdays from May through October.

No, that’s not all, either. There are three vintage, but reimagined (of course!) campers on the theater property that can be rented through Airbnb if you’re looking for a unique way to catch a movie and you’d like to stay the night. Flamingo, Disco Daze, and Tweety Bird each have their own style, and each is comfortably cozy with colorful character. The theater is also available for rent.

If a church group, business, or other entity needs a large space for an event, Tom and Sherryl have it covered! Scout Troop needs a place to camp? Look no further! Looking for a memorable place and way to ask for your love’s hand in marriage? Tom and Sherryl have your back on that, too!

And although Sherryl was unfortunately feeling under the weather on my visit to Tiger, I think Tom provided me with enough background for me to understand what a valuable asset she is to the community, too. Without her imagination and recollections of the past, Tiger might not be what it is today. Respect for the past, reimagined for today. You can find more information on the Tiger DriveIn Theater at www.tigerdrivein.com and on Facebook. Information on Cannonwood Village can be found at www.cannonwoodvillage.com.