Story and photography by Teresa Scott
The Evergreen Ball is first and foremost a celebration of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the long history of its support and preservation by the people of this region. For almost 20 years, Friends have gathered for this celebration and raised more than $8.5 million for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This year’s event, presented by Dollywood Parks & Resorts, had the theme, “Our Mountains, Our Home.” Guests of the event enjoyed a live and silent auction, dinner and an after party with music by Smooth Sailor. This incredibly special evening raised $1 million dollars to support a variety of programs and projects in the park including Parks as Classrooms, historic preservation, wildlife conservation, native grassland restoration and much more.