Plates for the Parkway starts today — eat out to raise funds and awareness for the scenic road

Plates for the Parkway kicks off today. Dine out at the restaurants below to raise funds for the Blue Ridge Parkway. At least 10 percent of proceeds from the restaurants below will be donated to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the National Park Service’s efforts to maintain the roadway.

For more information, check out this week’s issue of Xpress, which hits the stands tomorrow night. The event runs through Thursday.

To see a list of participating restaurants, click here.

Here are the details from the press release:

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 percent 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 official and 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 platesfortheparkway.org. To learn more about the Foundation, or to see a list of funded projects for 2013, visit brpfoundation.org.

SHARE

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.