Big thank you to Give Local Piedmont

Last week’s Give Local Piedmont event raised $864,710 for 160 non-profits in our four-county area. It is truly a testament to the generosity of this community and part of what makes it so special to live here.

First of all, we want to thank all the folks from the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation who worked so hard to make it such a success as well as the Path Foundation and other donors who provided the prizes. They’ve created an event that inspires — that makes you want to give and keep giving. I know Cheryl and I got carried away in the excitement of it all and busted our budget and it looks like many of you did the same.

In addition to thanking those of you who gave to all the organizations doing such good work in the community, Kid Pan Alley is especially grateful to our board of directors who matched all donations, and to all of you who contributed to our work of inspiring children to be creators of their own culture. We were deeply honored and touched to have won the grand prize of $2,500 for most donations for a small organization.

We’ve all read about how schools across the country have had their budgets slashed over the last 10 years, about how teachers are buying supplies out of their own pockets. Well, that doesn’t leave much for special programs, for the creative inspiration that can change lives.

With what we raised at GLP and the prizes and bonuses, over 1,400 children will get to experience a week of Kid Pan Alley. We, and our 50,000 KPA children thank you, best friends.

PAUL REISLER, CHERYL TOTH, RYAN BENYO Kid Pan Alley