On June 2, 2026, Watauga County Habitat for Humanity and friends gathered to hold The 2026 Big Cheese Fundraising Finale at Appalachian Mountain Brewery in Boone, N.C. This event was the conclusion of two months of fundraising that 8 teams and 29 individuals participated in, through “The Big Cheese Fundraiser.” The fundraiser brought in a total of $63,138 for the Watauga Habitat. This year was the 12th year of the peer-to-peer fundraiser, and it has raised a total of $521,120 since its inception.
VPC Builders won in both the team and individual categories. VPC Builders raised $22,485 as a team, and VPC Builders team member Lindsey Royle won the individual category, raising $16,550. VPC Builders also won the team competition when they competed in 2024.
The proceeds from this friendly competition support Watauga Habitat’s mission of building safe and affordable homes in Watauga County with those in need. In the Big Cheese Fundraiser, participants work to raise more money than the other competitors through a variety of strategies, and “The Big Cheese” winner title is won by both the top team and individual fundraisers. This year, the competition began on April 1, 2026 and concluded at Appalachian Mountain Brewery on June 2, 2026 when donations for competitors were cut-off at 7:45 p.m. At 8pm, the winners were announced.
The final leaderboard standings of the fundraiser were: THE BIG CHEESE 2026 TEAM FINAL STANDINGS:
1). VPC Builders: $22,485
2). High Country Home builders: $19,873
3). Alpha Delta Pi – Zeta Mu Chapter: $9,581
4). Top Goff: $5,720
5). The Cardinal Food and Spirits: $1,845 6). Lambda Chi Alpha: $1,700
7). Realtors of the High Country: $1,000 8). Lost Province Brewing Company: $835
THE BIG CHEESE 2026 TOP 6 INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISERS:
1). Lindsey Royle of the VPC Builders Team: $16,550
2). Ben Wesemann of the High Country Home Builders Team, owner of Arrow Works Custom Homes: $10,125
3). Ben Coillot of the High Country Home Builders Team, Employee at Perry Built Homes: $5,925
4). Susanna Goff of team Top Goff: $3,025
5). Dave Shableski of VPC Builders Team: $3,000
6). Sarah Grady of the High Country Home Builders team: $2,773
Grand Total: $63,138
(note that $99 was donated to the general campaign and not attributed to any team)
Watauga Habitat would like to extend special thanks to VPC Builders for winning the competition in the team category, and to the top 3 individual competitors. Lindsey Royle of VPC Builders who won first, Ben Wesemann of Arrow Works Custom Homes, competing on the High Country Home Builders team, who secured 2nd place, And in 3rd place, Ben Coillot of Perry Built Homes.
All proceeds from this fundraiser will support Watauga Habitat’s affordable housing program, where the organization builds safe and affordable homes with partner families who earn between 40%-70% of the HUD Median Income for the area. Homes are built with and sold to partner families with a 0% interest, 30-year mortgage. To date, 36 homes have been built and the 37th home is under construction.
Watauga Habitat would like to thank all donors, supporters and competitors of this event, as well as Appalachian Mountain Brewery for hosting the event at their location in Boone, N.C., and the band that kept the tunes going all night.
Additional donations to Watauga County Habitat for Humanity can be made in-person at the ReStore, may be mailed to the P O Box listed on their website, or given online at wataugahabitat.org. For inquiries about watauga habitat’s housing program, please call 828-268-9545.
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