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 25th AWARD
Haywood County: Fines Creek
PRESIDENT’S 50th 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
The McClure Fund
Buncombe County Farm Bureau