By Jesse Wood
After receiving a $100,000 gift from Elaine J. Wold for the naming rights to the garden area that runs parallel to N.C. 184 in downtown Banner Elk, the fundraising campaign for the historic Banner Elk School is off to a fine start in its first few months.
Last fall, the Avery County Board of Commissioners agreed to sell the 5.4-acre property to the Town of Banner Elk for $1 million. Once the town closed on the property in November, two committees were formed – one for the fundraising campaign and another for potential uses.
Below are naming-rights opportunities:
| · Total School & Property; Your Name Here | · $1 M |
| · Festival Area; Green space out front | · $250 K |
| · Gymnasium | · $100 K |
| · Garden area; Front of School | · $100 K |
| · Garden area; Along 184 by the Elk & Sign | · Taken |
| · Halls | · $75 K |
| · Library | · $50 K |
| · Cafeteria | · $50 K |
| · Mayland Community College Annex | · $50 K |
| · Court Yard | · $25 K |
| · Entrance area | · $25 K |
| · Sign & surrounding garden | · $25 K |
| · Rooms; 15 rooms available @ $25,000 each | · $25 K |
| · (Benches, garden stones, etc.) $10K each | · $10 K |
Also, here are the donor levels that exist:
The 1939 Society: Donations of $100,000 or more [donors at this level will see their name on a plaque inside the HBES and will receive a Golden Ruler pin to proudly wear or a Golden Ruler with their name and information about the Historic Banner Elk School and on the HBES website]
Principal: Donations of $75,000 [donors at this level will see their name on a plaque inside the HBES and will receive a Golden Ruler pin to proudly wear or a Golden Ruler with their name and information about the Historic Banner Elk School and on the HBES website]
Founders’ Circle: Donations of $50,000 or more [donors at this level will see their name on a plaque inside the HBES and will receive a Golden Ruler pin to proudly wear or a Golden Ruler with their name and information about the Historic Banner Elk School and on the HBES website]
Patron: Donations of $25,000 or more [donors at this level will see their name on a plaque inside the HBES and will receive a Golden Ruler pin to proudly wear or a Golden Ruler with their name and information about the Historic Banner Elk School and on the HBES website]
Leadership: Donations of $10,000 or more [donors at this level will see their name on a plaque inside the HBES and will receive a Golden Ruler pin to proudly wear or a Golden Ruler with their name and information about the Historic Banner Elk School and on the HBES website]
Academia: Donations of $5,000 or more [donors at this level will be posted in the premises, will see their name in annual publications and on the HBES website]
Motivator: Donations of $1,000 or more [donors at this level will be posted in the premises, will see their name in annual publications and on the HBES website]
Wisdom: Donations of $500 or more [donors at this level will be posted in the premises, will see their name in annual publications and on the HBES website]
Mentor: Gifts of $100 or more [donors at this level will be posted in the premises, will see their name in annual publications and on the HBES website]
Village: Donations of $1 to $99 [donors at this level will be posted in the premises, will see their name in annual publications and on the HBES website]
Note that donations of more than $5,000 can be made in one payment or in five installments. Donations are also tax deductible.
Tax-deductible donations can be made to: Town of Banner Elk, marked for the Historic Banner Elk School Project, and mailed to P.O. Box 2049 Banner Elk, NC 28604.
If you can’t donate to a government entity, tax-deductible donations can also be made to: The Friends of Historic Banner Elk School, and mailed to P.O. Box 234, Banner Elk, NC 28604.
For further information, please feel free to contact Brenda Lyerly, Mayor, Town of Banner Elk, 828-898-5383 or Ted Silver, Chairman, HBES Fundraising Committee, 828-898-5437 or email at saveBEschool@gmail.com or lyerlybs@Gmail.com.
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