Andrews – In a joint effort between the Mountain Lakes Board of Realtors and Town of Andrews, four new picnic shelters have been installed at Heritage Park.
The four shelters will provide much-needed shade for families and guests to enjoy, Town Administrator Tammy Holloway said. The shelters are for everyone’s use.
The Mountain Lakes Board of Realtors, the nonprofit arm of area Realtors, annually completes various community projects, according to association executive Kate Simmons.
“This year, we had grant money and we reached out to Mayor James Reid and Administrator Holloway to see if there were any projects in Andrews that needed attention. We agreed that our grant money would fund two of the shelters, and Mayor Reid matched the funds to provide two more for the town,” Simmons said.
“Our total for the project was $18,000, with that cost split between us. That total also includes labor, materials and time for the project.”
Reid said the town went through both its own administrative procedures, and also worked closely with the recreation department and board of realtors to provide these shelters. He added that they’re a wonderful group of people to work with in providing this valuable asset for Andrews.
The board of realtors had grant funds for improvements in Cherokee County last year as well, but those funds went undisbursed and were refunded when no project was agreed upon by county commissioners and school board members, Simmons said.
“So we were looking for a project we knew would be utilized and would benefit the community this year. Approaching Andrews seemed like a good fit,” she said. “We provided tables, trash cans, and we’re glad to see three shelters for the soccer fields and one with riverside access.”
Community is the main focus of the board of realtors’ work as the 501(c)(6) trade association nonprofit has worked to identify community needs through its Project Outreach Committee. Simmons said they’ve also completed recent projects providing tables at the Tennessee Valley Authority Boat Ramp, which was a joint venture between both the Department of Public Works and Murphy Downtown Development Director Laura Lachance.
Simmons said the board tries to provide “something besides just assisting our membership. We want to create a sense of the community we serve and connect to them through our various projects. We want to identify needs as well and serve to meet those.”
Part of that needs meeting is the fifth annual “Socktober” drive through October that aims to collect new socks for men, women and children, which will then be donated to organizations like Appalachian Angels, Reach of Cherokee & Graham Counties and the Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House homeless shelter in Murphy.
“This drive is in its fifth year and grows every year. Anyone can drop off their donations at our member offices or here at the board office, and we’ll then distribute those,” Simmons said. “We appreciate the community’s generous giving and support.”
That communal support is also reciprocal with the board of realtors’ other committees, which include education and technology, both for members and the community. The board also works to provide funding for their five annual $2,000 scholarships and will host its annual members-only fundraising gala in November.
While their main goal is to assist the area’s realtors by providing safety measures including lockboxes for properties along with other supplies for member businesses along with professional development, including Code of Ethics training, Simmons said the board wants to make a difference both to the people help promote this area, as well as those who move into the area and want to become involved in the community.
Anyone interested in donating for “Socktober” has until Friday to drop off new and unworn socks at many downtown Murphy locations as well as member sites in Hayesville, Robbinsville and Young Harris, Ga.
Details: The Mountain Lakes Board of Realtors office is at 93 Tennessee St. in Murphy. Call 828-837-5297 or visit mountainlakesboardofrealtors.com.