On Thursday, January 28, Donna and Junior Goforth were recognized as 2009 Main Street Champions at the North Carolina Main Street Annual Awards Dinner in New Bern, N.C. The Goforths were selected for this special honor by Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro in appreciation of their exceptional contributions to the downtown revitalization process. The Goforths, who were unable to be present for the ceremony, received a certificate commemorating their designation, along with Champions from 33 other communities.
Each of the state’s active Main Street programs is given the opportunity annually to recognize a local Main Street Champion. The dedication and hard work of countless volunteers is required to make a local Main Street program successful, and the Main Street Champion designation acknowledges the extraordinary efforts of those persons who have played pivotal roles in the revitalization of their downtowns.
“N.C. Main Street Champions are valued leaders, and we honor them for their commitment to downtown and to their community,” said Parham. “They are Main Street board members and volunteers, elected officials and city staff, downtown developers and small business owners. They are those individuals that give 110% to their community and then ask, ‘What’s next?’”
“We celebrate their individual contributions: to assess the needs of their communities and to develop innovative solutions, to identify opportunities and to implement positive change, and to enhance community capacity through the creation of public and private partnerships. Main Street Champions are downtown defenders, protectors and pioneers, and we thank them for their commitment to community,” she said.
In recommending the Goforths for this honor, Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro offered the following:
Donna and Junior Goforth, a talented husband-and-wife team, are downtown property owners and entrepreneurs who have made significant contributions to the retail segment of downtown North Wilkesboro. They own and operate Hallmark/Quickframe, offering custom framing, a large selection of Hallmark cards, gifts, sports fans' team gear and more.
The Goforths have donated a substantial amount of time, effort and money for the betterment of Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro. They both can be found volunteering at each and every event sponsored by HDNW. At our largest event, the Shine to Wine festival, Donna and Junior come out early to help set up before going to their store to work. They even come back after closing to help pick up after the festival. Their tireless efforts do not go unnoticed!
The Goforths share a strong desire to see downtown North Wilkesboro flourish, and everything they do to help make that happen is truly appreciated. Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro is pleased to recognize Donna and Junior Goforth as our 2009 Main Street Champions.
Main Street is a downtown revitalization program for smaller towns based on economic development within the context of historic preservation. The North Carolina Main Street Program, which provides technical assistance to its communities, is part of the Office of Urban Development in the Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Assistance.
In 1980, North Carolina was one of six original states, selected from 38 that applied, to launch the work of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center. The North Carolina Main Street Program began working with its five original cities – New Bern, Salisbury, Shelby, Tarboro, and Washington – in September 1980 and has since grown to include 61 communities across the state.
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Wilkes County Cruisers
