Friends of the Smokies will stage the organization’s 21st annual telethon on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 7-8 p.m. Friends Across the Mountains Telethon, which benefits Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will air on WLOS (Channel 13) locally. Last year’s iteration raised more than $200,000 for the park.
“The telethon has a proud legacy of providing critical funds for programs like Parks As Classrooms which educates and cultivates the next generation of park stewards,” said Friends of the Smokies President Jim Hart. “We are very thankful for the generous and loyal support that viewers provide each year to help the park.”
Donations can also be made through www.friendsofthesmokies.org or by calling 452-0720.
Here is the full release from organizers:
Waynesville, NC – On August 20, Friends of the Smokies hosts the 21st annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon to benefit Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). The event has a long history as the only telethon for a national park, and has raised more than $3 million.
“As we celebrate the 99th year of the National Park Service and look ahead to its centennial in 2016, support from our partners at Friends of the Smokies is more important than ever,” said GSMNP Superintendent Cassius Cash who will be appearing during the broadcast.
This year’s broadcast will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, on WBIR-TV Channel 10 in Knoxville and WLOS-TV Channel 13 in Asheville. The 21st annual telethon is generously sponsored by Dollywood, Mast General Store, Tennessee State Bank, and Pilot Flying J, with enthusiastic volunteer support from First Tennessee Bank and Home Federal Bank.
“The telethon has a proud legacy of providing critical funds for programs like Parks As Classrooms which educates and cultivates the next generation of park stewards,” said Friends of the Smokies President Jim Hart. “We are very thankful for the generous and loyal support that viewers provide each year to help the park.”
Viewers of the Telethon will see many of the GSMNP needs which Friends of the Smokies is funding this year, more than $880,000 to support education, conservation, recreation, and historic preservation in 2015. Current projects include rehabilitation of the Alum Cave Trail by the Trails Forever crew, ongoing suppression of the hemlock woolly adelgid and other invasive pests, supporting black bear and elk management, and funding for Parks as Classrooms environmental education programs for more than 18,000 students.
Last year’s Friends Across The Mountains Telethon raised more than $200,000.
Donations can be made online today at www.friendsofthesmokies.org, by calling Friends’ toll-free telethon hotline during the Friends Across the Mountains broadcast to make a pledge over the phone, or calling Friends of the Smokies and ask for a donation form to be mailed to them (Waynesville NC Office, 828-452-0720; Kodak TN Office, 865-932-4794 or 800-845-5665).
About Friends of the Smokies:
For more than 20 years, Friends of the Smokies has raised over $48 million to help maintain Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a crown jewel of the national park system, including the establishment of the Trails Forever endowment to improve Smoky Mountain hiking trails in perpetuity.
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.