Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina — Macon and Jackson Counties will host its annual Boots and Bourbon fundraising event on Thursday, Aug. 6, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Chimney Pond Farm in Glenville. The event returns to the venue for its third year.
This year’s fundraiser will feature live music from Asheville duo Seth and Sara, hat decor, local beer provided by Whiteside Brewing, a Southern-inspired dinner from Village Pantry of Cashiers, specialty bourbon tastings and handcrafted cocktails designed crafted exclusively for the event by Weldon Mills Distillery.
A live and silent auction will offer a wide range of items for attendees to bid on. Silent auction items include a trip to Mexico, locally made jewelry, wine donated by local wineries and experiences from local spas The live auction will feature booze cruises and international trips although the destinations have not yet been finalized.
Attendees can also contribute through cash calls, which raise funds for specific needs, such as a monthly utility bill.
“This has become such an important annual fundraiser because: number one, it’s getting our name out there and it’s getting people to understand what BBBS is—that it’s not the same as Boy’s and Girl’s Club,” said BBBS Regional Director Danielle Hernandez. “But also, we don’t receive funding from our national agency, so this is one of the only funding avenues that we have for general operational support.”
Funds raised through Boots and Bourbon will help support BBBS’s operating expenses, including salaries and administrative fees, as well as match activities, camperships and scholarships for high school Bigs and Littles.
“Whether we’re providing a campership or a sponsorship for horseback riding for a couple of our matches to participate in, it’s about providing new opportunities and being able to have the funding to let us do what we need to do,” said Hernandez. “It helps support the kids and allows them to explore their strengths.”
Hernandez has set a fundraising goal of $75,000.
“When we invite people to the table, it’s not going to a national agency. It’s going to a regional agency that affects the kids that are right here in Cashiers, Highlands, Macon and Jackson Counties,” said Hernandez. “Every person who comes to the table to support this is changing a life.”
In addition to purchasing tickets and participating in the auctions and cash calls, attendees can also join the advisory council.
Tickets are available through the BBBS of WNC website.
Mitch Stone is a reporter at The Highlander and can be reached at reporter@highlandsnews.com