Join the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and area restaurants June 10-13 for the second annual Plates for the Parkway event benefitting the Blue Ridge Parkway. Set in Asheville, Blowing Rock, Waynesboro, Roanoke, Charlotte, Floyd, Winston-Salem, Hickory and other communities where Blue Ridge Parkway fans live, work, and vacation, Plates for the Parkway links dozens of restaurants in one event to benefit the Parkway.
From June 10-13, participating restaurants have agreed to donate a minimum of 10% of proceeds from a meal or meals during that week to benefit the Foundation’s efforts to protect the Parkway. Current participants are in Parkway communities from the top of the Parkway in Waynesboro, VA to Sylva and Waynesville, NC. This year, the event has expanded beyond the Parkway into the communities of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Hickory, Gastonia and Greensboro.
According to Christy Bell, Director of Development for the Foundation, “Last year’s event was a great success with 32 participating restaurants. This year we are thrilled to announce that nearly 70 restaurants, wineries, coffee shops, breweries, food trucks and more from almost 25 communities are participating in the single largest week-long fundraiser to protect the Parkway.” All funds from this event will help the Foundation meet its record $740,000 in allocations to the Parkway for various projects this year.
In addition to raising valuable funds, Plates for the Parkway was created to highlight the many wonderful restaurants in communities along the Parkway and in places where fans of the Parkway live and work, giving people a fun way to support businesses in their community and the Parkway at the same time. Through this event, Parkway enthusiasts and food connoisseurs alike can enjoy vibrant and diverse dining opportunities, where many restaurants feature local ingredients and traditional recipes, all while helping to preserve and enrich our nation’s most visited national park unit.
As the primary fundraising partner of the Parkway, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation serves to protect, enhance and preserve the diverse Parkway programs and resources enjoyed by over 16 million people each year. Founded in 1997, the Foundation provides funding for programs that protect the environment, educate visitors and local children, preserve historical and cultural resources and enhance the visitor experience and safety. The programs supported by the Foundation are critical to all who love the Parkway whether you enjoy it for biking, hiking, music, scenic views, educational programs or more.
More information, including a full list of participating restaurants, can be found at www.platesfortheparkway.org. To learn more about the Foundation, or to see a list of funded projects for 2013, visit www.brpfoundation.org.
In Asheville, participating restaurants include Mayfel’s, Salsa’s, Tomato Jam Cafe, Corner Kitchen, Sunny Point, more.