The Friends of Founders Park will be hosting their annual low country shrimp boil on July 9 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Oak and Pine Street.
The event, which was started in 2016, has technically been around for six years, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Friends of Founders Park was unable to hold the fundraiser in 2020.
“This is our sixth year,” event manager Bill Edwards said. “Actually, it’s the fifth operating year because we got bumped by COVID in 2020. And we’ve been doing this since 2016, and we did a drive thru last year which was very successful and we were nicely surprised.”
Friends of Founders Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to generate, organize and apply financial and volunteer resources in order to maintain, improve and protect the Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park. All donations made to the organization, including all the proceeds from the shrimp boil, are put towards improvements for the park.
“We hope to give further exposure to Founders Park,” Edwards said. “But quite frankly, it’s gotten tremendous usage and that’s what the park was designed for. For example, the car show attendance for the car show, was about 2,000 people and it gives us an opportunity to show off our town and a place to go and enjoy the assets that the Friends of Founders Park and many, many people have worked hard to make it possible. It’s a great place to go year-round, but our purpose at this event is to help raise funds. This is our only fundraising event we have annually and the proceeds go for the enhancement of the flora of the park.”
Tickets are currently for sale and can be purchased at the website, foundersparkhighlands.org or in person at the Dry Sink located on Main Street. Tickets are $70 and includes dinner, dessert and two drink tickets.
“It’s becoming somewhat of a signature event, people like it,” Edwards said. “It’s under the big tent which was supplied by a Professional Party in Cashiers, and it has a really great atmosphere and a fun event. Some people get a takeout box, bring their chairs and they go sit next door and listen to the music at the pavilion.”
Live music will be performed by the Back Porch Orchestra. The Shrimp Boil will be prepared by chef Marty Rosenfeld, who formerly operated Lakeside Restaurant. The event will be held as scheduled rain or shine.
Edwards also extended his thanks to everyone who has worked for Founders Park in order to make this fundraiser successful.
“I have served as the Event Manager since the start but not without lots of help,” Edwards said. “We could not do it without the support of volunteers, Board members and Hank Ross, our president.”
Friends of Founders Park president Hank Ross said the funds raised are used for other park enhancements items in addition to the flora such as expansion and drainage improvements.
“Also, our organization raised over $3 million dollars to design and build the park before transferring it to the Town of Highlands in 2016,” Ross said. “Currently, our organization’s efforts are to provide enhancements beyond the regular maintenance provided by the Town of Highlands and to protect, inform the public, and represent the park for our community.”
- By Kaylee Cook