KODAK, TN – Friends of the Smokies hosted more than 450 guests at the 19th annual Greenbrier Barn Party on Friday, May 12th. The fundraising event featured live and silent auctions raising $166,205 this year in support of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Greenbrier Barn Party was co-hosted by Coach Phillip & Vicky Fulmer, Jake and Kat Ogle, along with Jim Ogle & Cheryl Houston. Special guests in attendance included University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones, and Steve Caldwell & Dan Brooks, coaches of the 1998 national championship team.

This event has raised over $1.9 million in its history, helping to fund critical projects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park including treating hemlock trees, construction of the Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion and hiking trail reconstruction.

“It has been a difficult year for many of us here in East Tennessee, but the outpouring of support from this community for our national park has been amazing,” said Jake Ogle, event co-host and Friends of the Smokies board member. “I am thrilled that we raised even more than last year for such a great cause.”

The Greenbrier Barn Party is held in Pittman Center, TN at the barn of Jim Ogle, former Friends of the Smokies board member. The event is presented by Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and Sugarland Cellars, and is sponsored by Anakeesta, Barnes Insurance Agency, Bearskin Lodge, Charles Blalock & Sons Inc., Citizens National Bank, Citadel Construction, Climbworks, Holston’s Kitchen, Home Federal Bank, Hospitality Solutions, The Island in Pigeon Forge, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Parkside Cabin Rentals, Riverside Tower, Robert G. Campbell & Associates, SmartBank, and Stowers Machinery.

Photos from Friday’s event and more information can be found at www.BarnParty.org.