Taste of Our Towns weathers the storm and raises funds

Despite the early morning rain, dozens of local vendors and thousands of attendees turned out for the 32nd Annual Taste Of Our Towns (TOOT) on Saturday, Oct. 8, in downtown Lewisburg.
While TOOT is a critical fundraising event for Carnegie Hall, it also generates revenue for area businesses and organizations. This year, vendors collectively grossed over $24,000, and Carnegie Hall received more than $8,000, bringing the total gross revenue of the event to over $32,000.
The staff of Carnegie Hall would like to recognize following contributors:
• The Beef Jerky Outlet, The Greenbrier and The Greenbrier Sporting Club donated in excess of the standard 25 percent of their earnings.
• Gillespie’s Flowers & Productions generously donated their time and equipment.
• Volunteers from the Carnegie Hall Board of Directors, Lewisburg Rotary, Cliff Baker and the Boy Scouts, WVSOM, Davis-Stuart, and the GEHS Key Club, as well as individuals who regularly volunteer for Carnegie Hall contributed largely to the success of the event.
• The Greenbrier Humane Society successfully found homes for all of the dogs and puppies that were brought to the event.
• Pamela Withrow of Camera One donated her time to photograph the event.
• The Greenbrier County CVB sold tokens and promoted TOOT.
• 2016 Sponsors included Premier Bank, Chris Hall State Farm, Country Road Realty, Dinsmore & Shohl, Farm Credit of the Virginias, Greenbrier Technologies & Electric, Hashtag WV, Kroger, Next Day Cleaners and The Spanglers.
• Attendees traveled from all over West Virginia, the United States, Western Europe, Southeast Asia, and South Africa.
This event is made possible by the generosity and support of the community. TOOT is always held the second Saturday in October, and plans for next year are already underway. To learn more about how to become a sponsor or volunteer next year, call 304-645-7917 or visit www.carnegiehallwv.org.