| As
you can see from the pictures below, the ice storm
that came through Avery County on Christmas Eve /
Christmas Day of 2009 devastated the landscape of
MacRae Meadows. Although the damage was felt across
the region, higher elevations caught the worst part
of the storm as freezing rain changed over to solid
ice. The freezing of the sap, combined with two to
three inches of ice on every branch of every tree,
produced a scene that looks more like a war zone than
the serene meadow that we know and love.
In
our attempt to prepare and plan for this year's
Games, the clean-up from this storm has, to say
the least, caught us off guard financially. Even
with the use of volunteers to assist with ground
clearance, estimates for professional limb removal
are in the $16,000 - $20,000 range. At this time
our greatest concern is not the limbs on the ground,
but rather the broken and damaged limbs that remain
in the tree canopies (affectionately known as "Widow
Makers"). These limbs must be removed by a
licensed and insured professional before we can
safely allow our volunteers to clear the grounds.
In
addition to the trees on the Meadow, the Games has
also experienced some unexpected pruning of our
schedule for 2010. Although attendance and revenue
from the events on the mountain have proven steady
for the past couple of years, in spite of the overall
economic downturn, the satellite events held off
the mountain have not seen similar success. For
this reason, the GMHG Board has made some difficult
scheduling decisions, including cancellation of
the Ceilidhs at Lees-McRae, the Golf Tournament,
the Alex Beaton Concert in Boone and the Piping
Concert in Boone. Although such cancellations are
unfortunate, they were deemed essential to maintain
the quality of the Games on the mountain without
a further increase in ticket prices.
With this in mind, the GMHG Board is asking for
your help in off-setting this unexpected expense.
Any amount that you can donate at this time would
be greatly appreciated and will go directly toward
the storm damage clean-up of our beloved MacRae
Meadows. Please consider a donation to our Storm
Clean-Up Fund for 2010 so that we can return MacRae
Meadows to its previous beauty.
Storm
Clean-Up Secure Donation Form
|
