Highlands Festivals, Inc., the producer of both the Highlands Food and Wine Festival and Bear Shadow music festival, presented its annual charitable donation to Friends of Founders Park on Monday, Dec. 9.
The donation represents a significant portion of the proceeds from this year’s Highlands Food and Wine Festival and was presented to Friends of Founders Park President, Hank Ross. High-lands Festivals, Inc. board members, Jack Austin and David Bock, presented the check in person.
The mission of Friends of Founders Park is to generate, organize and apply financial resources and volunteer resources for the maintenance, improvement and protection of Kelsey Hutchinson Founders Park in cooperation with the Town of Highlands.
“We are proud to support organizations like Friends of Founders Park and the preservation of Kelsey-Hutchison Founders Park. This cherished space sits at the heart of our community, bringing people together to connect, celebrate and create lasting memories,” said David Bock, President of Highlands Festivals, Inc.
Proceeds raised from this year’s Highlands Food and Wine Festival will also support the Louis Osteen Legacy Scholarship, as well as hurricane relief efforts through organizations such as Highlands Emergency Council, Highlands Food Pantry, BeLoved Asheville, Equal Plates Project, and the Southern Smoke Foundation. These donations are part of Highlands Festivals, Inc.’s commitment to promote Highlands as a year-round culinary, retail, shopping and outdoor lifestyle destination while also contributing funds and resources that directly benefit local initiatives and strengthen the Highlands community.
For more information about Friends of Founders Park, visit www.foundersparkhighlands.org/.
Along with the $10,000 donation to Founders Park, the food and wine festival donated $22,5000 to the Osteen Scholarship Fund.
Highlands Festivals, Inc. is a non-profit organization that produces the annual Highlands Food and Wine and Bear Shadow festivals in Highlands. The organization is dedicated to promoting High-lands, as an inspiring place to live and visit by producing world-class events that showcase, en-hance and support the region’s vibrant culinary, visual and performing arts organizations while contributing funds and resources that directly benefit similar local initiatives and strengthen our community.