1000 x 90

The Local P.A.S.S. Initiative Kicks Off with Boone Community Network Benefit Event Held Friday, Jan. 16

By Madison Fisler Lewis

TheLocalBooneNC

Jan. 7, 2015. As a local establishment, The Local in downtown Boone has strived to become the epitome of what being a local business in Boone is all about. Walking through the doors of the Howard Street eatery reveals walls that feature local artists, and live local music wafts through the air in the evenings. But starting next week, The Local will take commitment to the community a bit further. On Jan. 16, starting at 6 p.m., The Local will kick off the first Local P.A.S.S. campaign with an event held for The Boone Community Network.

FIXE_0706The Local P.A.S.S. (Provide, Advocate, Sustain, Synergy) is an initiative started by the restaurant which seeks to assist local organizations within the Boone community. According to a press release, the goals of The Local P.A.S.S. are to provide services to the community, advocate for those in need by supporting local organizations, sustaining the local economy and fostering synergy within the community.

“The owners of The Local were trying to figure out a way to benefit the High Country community and help these local charity organizations that are a big part of the community here,” said Kat Bundy of The Local.

“In collaboration with an outside collaborator, Michael Diettrich-Chastain, we came up with the idea to help support the local charities in Boone in a big way.”

Each month, The Local will host a fundraising event in honor of a needy local organization, for a total of twelve organizations served each year.

“This year, we have tried to take into consideration the organizations that are smaller and in need of help that are doing things locally to benefit the community,” Bundy said. “We approached them to see if they were interested to get things started. Next year that may change and there may be an application process, but this year we have approached the organizations that we felt could benefit.”

During the monthly fundraising events, the featured organization will receive 50 percent of all ticket sales, 10 percent of all food sales at The Local the night of the event and 100 percent of all raffle ticket sales.

“The events will be a few hours long,” said Michael Diettrich-Chastain of Synergy Consulting and Counseling, who works as an independent consultant for The Local.

“When you come in, there are free appetizers, free beer and an opportunity to see the organization to learn what they do. As much as it raises funds, it also raises awareness about these organizations. We are really excited about the response that we have gotten so far, and we haven’t even held the first event yet.”

While the concrete dates for the rest of this year’s events have yet to be set, the general schedule for the upcoming Local P.A.S.S. events is as follows:

  • February – OASIS
  • March – Hospitality House
  • April – Children’s Council
  • May – Hunger and Health Coalition
  • June – Blue Ridge Wildlife Foundation
  • July – WAMY
  • August – Wine to Water
  • September – Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge
  • October – Western Youth Network
  • November – Girl Scouts
  • December – F.A.R.M. Cafe

Those interested in participating in these Local P.A.S.S. fundraising events can purchase tickets to the events which gives participants entry, free appetizers, a free pint of North Carolina beer or other non-alcoholic beverage and a raffle ticket for local goods. Participants are also welcome to purchase additional raffle tickets while attending the event.

For participants, there are three different types of tickets currently available:

  • The Silver Pass: The Silver is good for entry into one event ($10)
  • The Gold Pass: The Gold is good for entry into any six Local P.A.S.S. events of the bearer’s choice in addition to a 5 percent discount of all food purchased at The Local ($50).
  • The Platinum Pass: This pass will give the participant entry into 12 events of the bearer’s choice along with a ten percent discount on all food purchased at The Local ($100).

“So far, we have gotten a pretty good reception from the community about these events,” Bundy said. “People seem to be really happy that we are doing something to give back to the community. As far as attendance, we will have to see how the first event goes.”

To purchase tickets, simply inquire at The Local.

“You can buy tickets from now until he end of the year,” Bundy said. “Right now, people can just go to The Local and purchase tickets. We are working on setting up an online purchase option, but for now tickets are only available at The Local.”

For more information about The Local P.A.S.S. initiative, click here. For organizations interested in being a part of the program, email thelocalpass@gmail.com.

The Local is located at 179 Howard Street in Boone. For menus and more information, click here.