By Sarah Richardson
The annual announcement of the Volunteer of the Year for Lewisburg was made following the last City Council meeting of 2024. The honors were awarded to the Lewisburg Foundation, who was represented in the Shanghai Parade on Jan. 1 by Foundation President Tag Galyean and his wife Annabelle Galyean, Treasurer.
The Lewisburg Foundation is a non-profit that was founded in 1980 to help create and maintain beautification areas to attract visitors and support area businesses during the expansion of I-64.
“We collaborated with municipal government and the merchants association to identify and implement a strategy to keep downtown vibrant,” states the Foundation’s site. “40 years later we operate as a beautification organization focused on creating and maintaining a stunning environment that protects and enhances the unique qualities of our historic town. The Lewisburg Foundation is dedicated to supporting regional tourism by preservation of downtown gardens and entrances to the historic district. Visitors to Lewisburg will find a beautiful and charming downtown, enhanced by its unique history and artistic community life.”
Several of the 14 sites maintained by the Lewisburg Foundation include the Green Space and the flowerbeds beside it, and the flowerbeds outside of the Visitor’s Center, the Post Office, Turley Park, Academy Corner, and numerous gateways into town. They also provide support in maintaining the six “parkets,” which are the mini-parks carved out of street parking along Washington Street.
