Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
April 12, 2007 issue
Local Citizens Hold Benefit for Elk Motel
Story by Ron Fitzwater
The spirit of the High Country was in evidence Tuesday, as area locals gathered at Crestwood for a hastily arranged benefit for the Elk Motel. The Elk Motel, located just outside of Boone on Highway 321, provides individuals whose annual income is somewhere around $10,000 a year, a roof over their heads for an affordable $300 to $325 per month.
The purpose for the benefit and ongoing fundraising is to assist Elk Motel owner Floyd “Dipper” Garrison in raising the funds needed to upgrade the motel’s sewer system to current health department codes. The health department determined that the system needed to be upgraded while investigating a leak and informed Garrison that the system would need to either be tied into the town of Boone’s wastewater system or a state monitored pump station would have to be constructed.
Garrison decided to petition the town to extend sewer service to the property, but because the property is out of the town limits, the council could not justify the expense. Garrison was informed that he would need to pay for the extension of the system, at an approximate cost of $120,000.
However, Garrison told the group at the benefit there is another reason for the town council’s decision not to assist him. “The city council in this town and a lot of other people in this town don’t think these people are worth anything. I think they are worth something and there are other people who do too,” he said.
Enter Erica Woodward. Erica is the events coordinator at Crestwood and attends church with Garrison. After learning of the situation at the Elk Motel and Garrison’s failed attempt to acquire assistance from the town, Woodward decided that something had to be done. “I was in tears when I learned about this. Knowing Dipper as a person, I knew I had to get involved,” Woodard said. “I thought to myself, well, I am an event coordinator, maybe I could do something here. So, I arranged for Crestwood to donate the space for the event and raised funds to offset the cost of hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The donations will ensure that 100 percent of the proceeds collected tonight and in the future will go to the Elk Motel,” Woodward said. “The money will not be going to the residents at the hotel,” a message Woodward is concerned with making clear. “What I want people to understand is that this event is not meant to make people have hope and faith in the residents of the hotel, individuals Garrison freely admits are ‘a mess.’ What they should do is have hope and faith in the ministry and the person who administers the ministry. That is what people are supporting. Repairing the sewage problem is just a means of achieving the ministry.”
Additionally, Woodward felt the need to act because of what she saw as non-action by the town council. She feels the council should have been more accommodating to Garrison regarding the matter, but did not because “if the Elk Motel shuts down, they think these people will go away.” Woodward feels that if the council would involve themselves in the situation they might come away with a different view of Garrison and the residents. “I want to charge town council members to get outside of their offices and outside of town hall and get informed on what he’s doing out there,” Woodward said.
Donation totals from the event were not available prior to press time.
Garrison and Woodward both asked those present to attend the next Boone Town Council meeting, and encourage others to attend as well, in support of Garrison and the Elk Motel. The next scheduled town council meeting is on Thursday, April 19.
For further information or to donate to the Elk Motel call Erica Woodward at 828-963-6646.