Nominations are in for the 3rd annual Great Friend to Families Award!
Buy a ticket to the awards luncheon.
Presented by Storie Street Grille and the Orthodontists & Pediatric Dentists Drs. Mayhew, Conn, Scheffler and Hardaway, the third annual Great Friend to Families award recognizes sustained contributions by an individual to the well-being of young children and their families in the High Country area.
The response to our call for nominations has been tremendous—we have 19 nominees: Caroline Bond (Western Youth Network, Habitat for Humanity); Kathy Cottrell (veteran teacher, children’s choir director); Shirlee Edwards (founder of seven local nonprofits including The Children’s Council, Hunger Coalition, OASIS, and the Community Care Center); Dick and Joan Hearn (community volunteers with United Way and many others); Eric Henderson (Director of EQUIP Sports Ministry); Denise Jones (foster parent); Trish Kohlasch, Linda Laughter, and Liz Tincher (Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S.); Vicki Krueger (teacher and community volunteer); Beth Lawrence (WYN, Sugar Grove Developmental Day School, Kiwanis); Lee Marshall (Head Start, the Children’s Council)’ Elaine Rothenberg (High Country Women’s Fund, Temple of the High Country Sisterhood, Reading Mentors of the High Country); Lee Ryan (technology volunteer, Blowing Rock Community School); Chad Slagle (Department of Social Services); Donna Soule (Children’s Developmental Services Agency), Sherry Street Tobin (ASU Communication Disorders Clinic); and Cheryl Williams (teacher).
The award-winner will be presented with a piece of local art and $500 to donate to the High Country charity of their choice.
The winner will be chosen by a distinguished committee of local leaders: Timothy James of RBC Centura Bank, Lisa Martin of Mast General Store, and last year’s winner Pat Morgan. The award will be presented at a luncheon on Friday, March 18th and all nominees will be recognized at the ceremony.
The luncheon will feature music and reflections from distinguished Appalachian songwriter, author, and teacher Joe Shannon and will be catered by presenting sponsor Storie Street Grille. Shannon will weave music and stories drawing from his 30 years experience in the classroom. The organizer of Mountainhome Music, Shannon is a published writer and songwriter who plays guitar, banjo, hammered dulcimer, harmonica, and concertina.
Proceeds from this year’s event will be used for scholarship memberships to The Children’s Playhouse and to upgrade our outdoor spaces to create a “child’s secret garden” with shade, plants, and water exploration.
Catered by Storie Street Grille, the luncheon will be from noon to 2 pm on Friday, March 18th 
at the High Country Home Builders’ Plaza (755 NC Hwy. 105 By-Pass in Boone).Tickets are $20 per person, of which $15 is tax-deductible. Click here to buy a ticket.
Award Sponsors
Presenting sponsors are Storie Street Grille, Orthodontists & Pediatric Dentists Drs. Mayhew, Conn, Scheffler and Hardaway with additional support from Anonymous, Mast General Store, the High Country Home Builders, and Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation.
Additional sponsors for the award are still being sought. Individuals and local businesses are invited to be apart of this wonderful tribute to our hometown heroes. For more information, contact Kathy Parham at kathy@goPlayhouse.org.
About 2010 Great Friend to Families Award
The winner of the 2010 award was Pat Morgan, a longtime community volunteer who has read to children in local elementary schools for decades, organized many events benefitting families, and took rural children on trips to Washington D.C. Morgan designated that his award go to children's collection at the Watauga County Public Library. The twenty distinguished nominees in 2010 were Julie Bostick; Kim Carter, Ashley McKinney, and Laureen Vilas; Matthew Crawford; Angie Dolen; Shirlee Gaines Edwards; Susan Jones; Kaaren Hayes; Dick and Joan Hearn; Virginia MacLeod; Pat Morgan; Tammy Nelson; Carrington Pertalion; Denise Presnell; Susan Weinberg; Delores Wilder; Roberta Yates; and Joan Zimmerman.
About the 2009 Great Friend to Families Award
The first winner of the Great Friend to Families award was Watauga County Children's Librarian Judith Winecoff and she designated the $500 prize to go to the Hunger and Health Coalition. A total of sixteen local citizens--Cynthia Brown-Greer, Laurie Cimino, Lindsay Cobb, Doug Galke, Kaaren Hayes, Karen James, Natalie Lewis, Karee Mackey, Todd Nolt, Sherrie Norris, Jane Penley, Denise Presnell, Jan Rienerth, Robin Triplett, Mary Willis, and Judith Winecoff—were nominated for the first ever award presented by the Children’s Playhouse. Click here for an overview of the 2009 nominees.