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Raising Fun and Funds
Written By: George Manning | Issue: May 2023
Rise and Shine is a joyous celebration of life on the Plateau. This year’s event will happen on Sunday, July 30 at 5:30 P.M. at the Cullasaja Club.
In 2012, the Highlands Community Fund, an affiliate fund of the Community Fund of Western North Carolina saw a decline in contributions following the recession of 2008 and 2009.
Gayle Cummings, a Highlands Community Fund board member, decided that everyone needs a good Gala. She thought it would be an effective way to raise money for the Community Fund.
Gayle’s definition of a good party was one with good music, good food, and adult beverages, in a nice location. Gayle had successfully raised funds through Galas for the Highlands Community Child Development Center, in earlier years, and knew how to throw a party.
Gayle’s first Rise and Shine was in 2012. Starting from scratch, Gayle and three other board members of the Community Fund put their heads together over cocktails and created a guest list from scratch. This list of friends and associates in Highlands and Cashiers were excited to have a new party mid-summer in Highlands. Rise and Shine was born. It is in late July and early August and has become a fixture on the summer calendar.
The first Rise and Shine was at The Bascom in the outside covered area. Gayle and her crew needed good food and one board member, whose son who had just started a barbecue restaurant, agreed to supply the food. Gail picked flowers from the roadside for decorations and another board member went to Franklin to get fingerprinted for a liquor license. Gail found the band, the Caribbean Cowboys.
The first Rise and Shine generated over $90,000 and after expenses netted approximately $80,000 for the Community Fund endowment.
Rise and Shine has evolved over time and in the intervening years it has been held at The Bascom and most recently the Cullasaja Club, which graciously made its space available. Rise and Shine has raised over $750,000 for the endowment for the Highlands Community Fund and over the last 10 years the Highlands Community Fund has distributed $728,410 to 23 nonprofits on the Plateau.
In 2022, the Community Fund distributed $82,000 to 12 organizations. We look forward to seeing folks on Sunday, July 30, at the Cullasaja Club, and more information will be available later.
Highlands Community Fund, an affiliate fund of the Community Fund of Western North Carolina, started in the late 1990’s with an endowment of $70,000. Today its endowment exceeds $2 million.
