Selling Parkway preservation
Mast teams up with foundation

Mast General Store and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation are collaborating in an effort to preserve the Blue Ridge Parkway — described by the foundation as “a ribbon of national park that unites the spirit of the past with the present, allows travelers to sample the pleasures of simple mountain living, and participate in an unforgettable and inspiring journey.”

Mast General Store locations will now carry the “Blue Ridge Parkway Collection” of licensed Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation merchandise which provides income to help the foundation in its mission of providing funds that give added value to park experiences.

On Sept. 13, Mast Store will host a Blue Ridge Parkway Day with a percentage of the day’s sales benefiting the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

“The commitment of Mast General Store to the traditions and values of the Appalachian culture is evident in their stores, how they conduct business, treat their employees, and support the communities where they are located,” Houck Medford, executive director and founder of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, said.

“When we first began meeting with the Cooper family and the Mast Store staff, it was so clear that this is an organization of excellence, built on integrity and true concern for the people and places they touch.”

“This is much more than a business relationship” Fred Martin, Mast Store vice president, said.
“We are forging a partnership that is focused on the future, building a new generation who will enjoy and care for the Parkway and all it represents as we enjoy and care for it now. We cannot just assume that children will grow up to understand the value of this very special place. Our decision to form this partnership honors the past but is very much focused on the future.”

Mast General Store has been a donor to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation for many years and this new level of commitment has evolved from what a press release called “a shared concern for the region connected by the Parkway.”

“These were motivations for building the Parkway and are important to the Park’s future as well. We share a vision with Mast’s leadership for a vibrant, healthy string of communities that value the traditions and character of the Blue Ridge Parkway and will work to preserve it,” Medford shares.

In addition, Mast General Store has placed “Share the Journey” Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation license plates on their corporate fleet and many of their employees have also purchased them for their personal vehicles.

Winding for almost 500 miles along the crest of six Appalachian mountain ranges in North Carolina and Virginia, traversing four national forests and six major rivers, the Blue Ridge Parkway has been called “one of the most extraordinary and soul-soothing travel experiences in the world. But the Parkway is more than a remarkable passageway through natural grandeur,” by the foundation.

To discover more information about the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation or the state-official Blue Ridge Parkway license tags; please visit BRPFoundation.org or call (336) 721-0260.