ABOUT THE ROARING GAP FOUNDATION

The Roaring Gap Foundation seeks to make a difference in the lives of residents of Alleghany County, North Carolina, by helping those in need and providing educational support. We are a 501(c)(3) organization.

The Roaring Gap Foundation was organized in 2008 by a small group that believed our club should reach out to “support worthy charitable purposes which benefit residents of Alleghany County.”  The vision of this group was to help support the community through yearly grants to various non-profit organizations.

The simple purpose was to support those in need and to support education for Alleghany students.  

Today, over a decade later, the Foundation has grown and has touched the lives of many residents in a number of ways by:

• partnering with local organizations to provide basic necessities such as food, clothing, shoes, fuel, medicine
• awarding college scholarships to provide financial assistance to young people who are employed at Roaring Gap Club during the summer
• offering grants to promote wellness among all citizens
• encouraging Roaring Gap Club members to serve as mentors to our college scholarship students

Alleghany county has a population of approximately 11,000.  Yet, 20.6% of the county’s residents and 35% of all children live below the poverty level.

Today, the Scholars Program amounts to about 40% of our total allocation, and last year the Foundation funded 16 student/employee scholarships.

Interestingly, almost every student intends to return to Alleghany upon completion of his/her education.

We do not simply give money away, rather we want to help teach these young people to become self-sufficient and then be able to give back to the Alleghany community.

We have not set about creating an endowment but rather, make grants each year with the money we raise.  This year the Foundation donated over $170,000 to Alleghany county—-thanks to the generosity of our members.