69 Years of WNC Honors

The 64 communities involved this year represent over 5,000 volunteers with an impressive 166,500 hours in outreach programs dedicated to education, health, conservation and events highlighting the mountain’s great art, craft, and music traditions, as well as collaborative efforts with government, churches, community colleges, nonprofits and small businesses. In addition, the collective fundraising efforts of these communities brought in over one million dollars for everything from neighbor helping neighbor to food pantries, community gardens, school supplies, senior meal sites, military honorariums, preserving mountain heritage and funds dedicated to the upgrades and maintenance of these rural beacons known as community centers

Here are the 2018 Honors Awards Winners:

COMMUNITIES OF DISTINCTION

Buncombe County: Shiloh Community Association

Haywood County: Bethel Rural Community Organization and the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center

COMMUNITIES OF PROMISE

Buncombe County: Leicester, Sandy Mush, Spring Mountain

Eastern Band of Cherokee: Big Y

Haywood County: Fines Creek

Henderson County: Upper Hickory Nut Gorge

Jackson County: Caney Fork

Macon: Holly Springs

Madison County: Spring Creek

Mitchell County: Tipton Hill

Rutherford County: Ellenboro Woman’s Club

Transylvania County: Cedar Mountain, Dunn’s Rock, Lake Toxaway

Watauga County: Deep Gap Ruritan

ENGAGED COMMUNITIES

Ashe County: Peak Creek Ruritan

Buncombe County:  Big Ivy, Ox Creek

Cherokee County: Grape Creek, Unaka

Clay County: Brasstown

Eastern Band of Cherokee: Cherokee County Indian Club, Wolftown

Haywood County: Beaverdam

Henderson County: Crab Creek, Edneyville

Jackson: Pumpkintown

Macon: Carson, Clark’s Chapel, Cowee, Otto

Madison County: Center, Greater Ivy, Revere-Rice Cove, Walnut, Walnut Creek

Rutherford County: Gilkey School, Whitehouse

Transylvania County: Balsam Grove, Little River

PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES

Ashe County: Todd Ruritan

Buncombe County: Avery’s Creek, Buckeye Cove, Cane Creek, Fairview, Rosscraggon Wood

Cherokee County: Martin’s Creek, Peachtree

Eastern Band of Cherokee: Big Cove, Snowbird, Towstring, Yellowhill

Haywood County: North Hominy, Thickety

Henderson County: Upward

Macon County: Nantahala, Upper Cartoogechaye

Rutherford County: Golden Valley, Union Mills

Transylvania County: Quebec

Watauga County: Foscoe Ruritan

PRESIDENT’S 25^th AWARD

Haywood County: Fines Creek

PRESIDENT’S 50^th AWARD

Buncombe County: Ox Creek Community Center

Haywood County: Cowee Community Development Center

Rutherford County: Whitehouse CommunityCenter

CALICO CAT

Haywood County:  Fines Creek

CALICO CAT JUNIOR

Buncombe County:  Sandy Mush

THANK YOU to the 69th WNC Honors Awards Sponsors. Their generous contributions made $38,500 in cash awards possible for our communities.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort

Harrah’s Valley River Casino & Hotel

Biltmore Farms, Inc.

Duke Energy

The McClure Fund

Buncombe County Farm Bureau

Carolina Farm Credit

First Citizens Bank

Wells Fargo

New Belgium Brewing