Page 104 - Cityview_July_August_2014

The Friends of the Park made restoring the

Mount Cammerer ire tower a top priority.
After 20 years, it’s showing wear again and

could use another facelift.

and silent auctions, and enjoyed live en-

tertainment. the event has raised more

than $3 million since its debut.
tim Chandler, of scripps networks in-

teractive, is one of many volunteers who
works yearlong to prepare for the ball.

“after two years of attending the ball,”

says Chandler, “i wanted to do more than
just go to the event, so i volunteered and

started working on the silent auction
committee—i’ll ask anyone and everyone

for a donation for the smokies, and how
first, and if a gift of any kind is made, say evolved in concert with the way the park can they say no to such a beauty?”

thank you seven different ways!”
has grown and changed,” he says. “We’re as a volunteer, says Chandler, “you

the first few years evidenced great more well organized and segmented in can experience and enjoy the work
love for the smoky Mountains, as money our duties as we have grown. the posi- you do on any visit [to the park].” he’s

was donated, artists and designers gave tions have been developed to fill new experienced the third aspect of what the
their talents, and tennessee quarterbacks needs from our expanded outreach.”
friends do: cultivate connection. the

and congressmen alike lent their support hart loves to hike, especially around friends organize volunteer opportuni-

to the new group.
Cades Cove. “it’s a little piece of heaven ties for their own events and for hands-
Pope and Miller’s idea was not unprec- on earth to me and a lot of other people,” on help in the park, they sponsor hikes,

edented, but it was forward-thinking. he says. that “little piece” is part of more and they visit the park’s “neighbors in
Park friends groups have been forming than 800 square miles of land, 800 miles the foothills,” holding receptions in the

since 1919 to fill the needs of individual of trail, and 800 miles of road that com- six counties that surround the park in

parks that are not covered by appropri- pose great smoky Mountains national tennessee and north Carolina to give
ated government funds. the groups Park. the needs over such a large area local residents a chance to interact with

meet their partner parks’ monetary and are diverse, so the “squad”—the heads of park management.
project needs by raising funds and public various park divisions—devises an annual both volunteers and funds have helped

awareness and offering membership
list of funding priorities in five categories: accomplish a host of park projects since
and volunteer programs. there are more resource management, resource educa- 1993, beginning with a new dormitory

than 100 friends groups in the country to tion, facilities management, resource and for seasonal park employees. in 1995,

date, and, according to the national Park visitor protection, and the volunteer-in- the friends reconstructed the fire tower
foundation, about a quarter were formed Park program.
that started it all—time has taken its toll

after 2000.
the friends focus on fulfilling those on the tower once again, however, and it
it was about that time when friends needs via three primary pathways: spon- appears in need of another facelift. since

of the smokies underwent an evolu- soring ongoing contribution opportuni- then, they’ve helped the park restore oth-

tion. in 2002, after 35 years in broadcast ties (including donation boxes around er historic structures and build new ones,
management and two months of early the park and the popular friends of the such as the oconaluftee visitors Center

retirement, Jim hart joined as president smokies license plates), holding annual in north Carolina. they’ve procured
and set about making the friends a much and special events, and forging new con- emergency vehicles and defibrillators, as

more integral player in park operations.
nections between people and park.
well as air quality monitoring equipment.
since the early 2000s, they’ve funded
When hart began his tenure, there a few of the annual events include
were two other full-time employees. a telethon, the Picnic at Pitman for the treatments to save the park’s hemlock

now there are seven, including a market- Park, and the evergreen ball. for the past trees from hemlock woolly adelgids, a
ing manager, development director, and a 11 Januaries, 500 guests have attended small non-native insect with a devastat-

special projects director. “the group has
the ball’s formal dinner, bid in its live
ing appetite. they’ve outfitted inter-

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cityviewmag.com july august 2014