April 8, 2025
The Sharing Our Gifts Campaign is the largest fundraising effort by Lake Junaluska to date
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — Lake Junaluska has launched the Sharing Our Gifts Campaign, a fundraising drive that seeks to raise $14 million to transform the grounds.
The campaign is the most ambitious fundraising drive in the history of Lake Junaluska. It will provide resources to strengthen the organization’s ministry to youth and families by expanding recreation options and creating versatile lodging options. The campaign will also invest in three beloved sacred spaces, as well as the Lake Junaluska dam, in order to continue the mission of serving as a place of light and hope.
“This is our chance to be part of a legacy that will impact generations to come,” said Melvin Spain, chair of the Lake Junaluska board of trustees. “For more than a century, Lake Junaluska has been a place of spiritual renewal, rest, recreation and reconnection. It has transformed the lives of countless people. Our goal for this campaign is to do our part so others whom we will never know can continue to experience God’s grace and peace on this beautiful piece of earth.”
At its core, the campaign will fund multi-generational experiences that renew the soul, mind and body.
“We are looking toward a bold vision for Lake Junaluska’s future — to position Lake Junaluska as the most welcoming place for personal renewal in our region and beyond,” said Ken Howle, executive director of Lake Junaluska. “We invite all who love Lake Junaluska to be a part of this important effort. Together, we can share our gifts to make a lasting impact.”
Support for five priorities
The Sharing Our Gifts Campaign focuses on five key priorities — sustaining the annual fund, building youth and family housing, strengthening recreation ministry, preserving the lake and dam, and restoring sacred spaces.
Many of the most beloved activities and experiences at Lake Junaluska have no natural funding source but are made possible through the generosity of more than 1,000 donors who provide sustaining support year after year. The gifts to the annual fund will provide support for year-round ministry at the Lake.
The second priority, building youth and family housing, seeks to finalize the planning of the construction of a series of new, modern cottages to replace the current Mountainview and Sunnyside lodges. Those lodges were built in the mid-1950s to meet the needs of their time, and those needs have changed over the years.
“Many changes to modern life that were underway before the global pandemic have accelerated over the past several years,” Howle said. “One change is the way families are choosing to travel. Instead of vacations that include only immediate family, more families are traveling as an intergenerational unit. The new cottages will provide a variety of room configurations to accommodate different needs.”
The third priority, strengthening recreation ministry, will improve outdoor recreation at the lake, including work on the beloved Lake Junaluska Walking Trail as well as a new open-air covered pavilion, a new mini-golf course, and improved pedestrian pathways. Thanks to generosity early in the campaign, the shuffleboard courts were replaced and new bocce ball and cornhole courts opened in 2024.
The fourth priority is to preserve the lake and dam. The dam is at the center of all that happens at Lake Junaluska, the lake wouldn’t be possible without it. At more than 100 years old, it is in need of significant ongoing maintenance and timely infrastructure improvements, including spillway and gate controls.
The final priority is restoring sacred spaces — including the Lake Junaluska cross, the oldest building, Stuart Auditorium, and the new multi-purpose event space known as the Warren Center.
“I’m so thankful for a community of charitable supporters who recognize that it takes all of us working together to ensure a bright future for Lake Junaluska,” said Wanda Musgrave, the campaign committee chair. “Each part of the Sharing Our Gifts Campaign will strengthen our mission, which is why I’m so excited to lead this effort.”
You can support the Sharing Our Gifts Campaign by giving in three ways — annual contributions, special one-time gifts or planned gift commitments.
To learn more about the Sharing Our Gifts Campaign and how to contribute, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/give or contact the Development Office at 828-454-6680.
