Your Voice…Community spirit

by Bob Keith

I usually end my articles with the positive affirmation, “It’s all about community spirit”. In this Mountain Breeze, it’s my title headline. Let me cite some examples of how fortunate and blessed we are to live in this community.

In August, the Olympiad Sports Festival was pulled off successfully in spite of all the COVID negatives and drew over 800 athletes to our area. The events raised over $20,000 for local charities, causes and service organizations. Checks totaling over $8000 have been issued to our service organizations that handled all of the medical and safety concerns over the three day weekend. Donations were also made to Outreach, the Library, LLCA and Lions Club with a large check for $3000 going to the “breakfast/lunch program” at LLCA. Thank you Olympiad!

While this was all going on, the Hickory Nut Gorge Foundation fulfilled a grant request for $1000 to the new LLCA “Family and Consumer Sciences” curriculum. The money was used to purchase equipment and supplies to get the new course and program underway. In addition, the Foundation also gave its largest grant to date of $5000 to the county’s library systems new Bookmobile that will bring and promote literacy and technology into the extreme rural areas of Rutherford County. And not to be outdone, our local “Friends of the Library” matched the Foundation’s grant with another $5000 to further pay for the cost of the Bookmobile.

The various organizations could not make an impact like this without all the involvement and contributions from all the volunteers across the Gorge. Mega-thank you to everyone! May I reiterate ….. It’s people helping people and it’s all about community spirit!

As a parting reminder, if you haven’t already done so, get out and vote for your local candidates on November 2nd. 

Have a great Thanksgiving and subsequent holiday season!

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