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Friends of the Smokies has again committed to providing over $1 million to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year, and Tennessee tag buyers will play a vital role in reaching this goal.

In 2009, Friends of the Smokies received just over $444,000 through the Tennessee specialty plate program. These dollars help support a variety of Park needs, like the Parks as Classrooms program, which provides hands-on, curriculum-based learning opportunities for more than 18,000 area schoolchildren.

Opportunities to learn directly from rangers about the Park's amazing scientific and cultural treasures make big impressions on its next generation of supporters.

Last year, Friends of the Smokies supported the 75th anniversary of our nation's most visited national park (which does not charge an entrance fee.) One of the signature fundraising initiatives for the anniversary is Friends of the Smokies' Trails Forever program. Friends is working to meet a $2 million challenge grant from The Aslan Foundation of Knoxville to fund a third, permanent trail maintenance work crew to help take care of the Park's 800-plus miles of hiking trails.

“Tennessee drivers who bought or renewed a Friends of the Smokies' plate in 2009 helped us reach the $1 million mark toward our $4 million goal,” Friends' board chairman Mark Williams said. “With the match from The Aslan Foundation the program is almost halfway funded.”

The work of the Trails Forever crew is already underway, and through the support of Friends of the Smokies, improvements have been made to the Jakes Creek, Baskins Creek, Forney Ridge and Ramsey Cascades trails in the Park.

Finally, perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the black bear, received help thanks to Friends of the Smokies' license plate supporters. Orphaned and injured black bears are rehabilitated at the Appalachian Bear Rescue Center near Townsend, with annual funding help from the Friends.

“No matter what you love about the Smokies, your decision to support Friends of the Smokies through your purchase of our specialty license plate will make a big difference for our Park,” said Friends' President Jim Hart.