Western Youth Network, in conjunction with the Sonny Sweet Scholarship Fund, will present “A Sweet High Country Salute” at the Harvest House on Thursday, Aug. 24.
“The Harvest House is a great venue for entertainment,” said George Brudzinski, treasurer for the Sonny Sweet Scholarship Fund. “It’s an incredible venue for this event.”
The event features Tim Decker, a performance speed painter who will demonstrate his impressive and awe-inspiring speed-painting skills, and a fast-paced auction of his paintings from the night.
“Decker is a nationally acclaimed speed-painter, and he is going to paint three murals for us on stage,” Brudzinski said. “He paints them in about 2-3 minutes, and then when he is done, we are going to auction them off.”
Along with this, there will be wine and beer from Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Peabody’s and The Peddler, water donated from Ingles and soft drinks from Coca-Cola Bottling here in Boone. Guests will also receive a taste of 6 High Country favorite restaurants – BBQ, Burgers and Brews, Casa Rustica, Pepper’s, Red Onion, Makoto’s and The Peddler.
Ashe County’s “Generation Excellent” will provide guests with a beautiful and inspiring performance of patriotic songs.
“It is a group of home-schooled children who are going to perform patriotic songs,” Brudzinski said. “They dress in costumes and everything, and they are a really great group.”
The event will begin at 6 p.m. and end at 9 p.m., and all benefits from the event will go to the Sonny Sweet Scholarship Fund, which works toward raising money to send youth to Western Youth Network’s Summer Program for free.
“Many children in the community cannot afford to pay to attend the Western Youth Network Summer Program,” Brudzinski said. “The scholarship fund allows the less-fortunate children the opportunity to enjoy all of the events at Western Youth Network for the summer.”
Sonny Sweet, co-founder of Blood Sweat and Gears, has been a prominent community member that has provided generous help to multiple charities and organizations throughout his time in the High Country. Not only has he served the community, but he also served in the U.S. Army for thirty years and ten months.
In 2013 Sweet was diagnosed with lung cancer and, according to Brudzinski, he was given only 6 months to live. Fortunately, Sweet is in his 48th month right now. He wanted to leave a lasting legacy that would continue to help the youth of the High Country, and so he partnered with Western Youth Network to do just that.
“The Summer Program scholarship actually began in 2016, and this past year, they provided 4 scholarships to less-fortunate youth to attend the summer camp,” Brudzinski said.
Tickets for the upcoming event are $55 per person, $100 for a couple and $400 for a table of 8. They are available online at www.SweetSalute.EventBrite.com or by mailing a check to WYN-SSSF, P.O. Box 3753, Boone, NC 28607. Seating is limited to 250 guests.
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