The Shadow
Appalfolks of America Association (AAA) has reached its “I Have a Heart” fund drive goal of raising $3,000.
AAA launched its fund drive on May 24 and tied the fund drive to the GiveLocalAH.org Giving Tuesday competition that pitted AAA against other nonprofit organizations in the Alleghany Highlands.
Giving Tuesday was held on June 7, and AAA won $2,000 by finishing second in the competition, $1,500 by winning the 6:00 p.m. till 7:00 p.m. “Power Hour Competition” and $350 for having 10 or more donors in the competition.
The $3,000 goal was achieved in part by the following businesses that participated by displaying “I Have a Heart” sheets and soliciting donations for AAA: Buckhorne Country Store and Campground, Amber Suzanne Salon, ACE Hardware, Michael’s New York Style Pizza, Food Festival Store & Deli, B.P Station and Shell Station in Clifton Forge.
Low Moor businesses that helped were Family Treets Restaurant and Love’s Travel Center.
Covington businesses that participated in the “I Have a Heart” fund drive were Cuci’s Pizzeria and Covington Farm & Fuel.
AAA mailed more than 200 “I Have a Heart” appeal letters to previous donors in 11 states, and donors from Ariz. Texas, Ky., W.Va., N.C., S.C. and Va. responded with donations
By midnight of Giving Tuesday’s competition, just over $2,400 had been received from the “I Have a Heart” Fund Drive that counted in the contest, but by the weekend, donations that did not arrive in time to count in the June 7th competition arrived and totaled $1,400 more, enough to surpass the $3,000 “I Have a Heart” goal.
Combining the $4,525 received from the “I Have a Heart” Fund Drive and those received online on June 7 with the $3,850 prize money won in the competition, the total came to $8,375.
The $1,400 in donations that arrived too late to count in the contest raised the total to $9,775.
AAA has served Southern Appalachia and the Alleghany Highlands mainly since 1985. Currently, its Virginia Opry is in its 30th performance season and was designated at the Commonwealth of Virginia’s official Opry when former Governor Ralph S. Northam signed “Senate Bill 283” into law on March 31, 2020.
Also, AAA’s Special Theatrical Artists Revue & Showcase (STARS) is in its 26th performance season. AAA’s documentary titled “STARS” won a Bronze Telly in 2006.
Active in both the performing and literary arts, AAA founded The Alleghany Highlands Writers’ Workshop in conjunction with the Clifton Forge Public Library in 2006, and AAA owns and operates Mountain Empire Publications that has launched “The Appalachian Poetry Series.”
Jana Allen, a vocalist with The Virginia Opry who is a board member of AAA and The Virginia Opry’s spokesperson, will post a “Thank You Video” by the end of June to thank the dozens of donors who contributed to AAA’s success.
