April 6 to 8 is Coming Soon!
Fifty-Year YMCA Veteran Jan Parsons Shares Her Goodwill Perspective
“Flowertown & the YMCA are Summerville,” says Timmi-Jo Pashuta, a resident of Summerville, former teacher at YMCA and current CHG social media marketing specialist.
The Flowertown Festival was founded in 1972 to support health and wellness programs at the Summerville YMCA. The celebrated three-day weekend, recognized by Southeast Tourism as one of the top 20 events in 2016, will take place on April 6 to April 8 this year. Summerville, known for its beautiful old homes, sweet tea and abundant azalea, dogwood and wisteria blooms, celebrates The Flowertown Festival in style on Main Street and Azalea Park hosting restaurant vendors at The Taste, Children’s Jubilee/Kids Fest, and a Farmer’s Market on Saturday and Sunday.
Jan Parsons, Vice President of Health & Wellness at the Summerville Family YMCA, has been with the facility since 1988 and working for the YMCA for fifty years. The veteran, who will be stepping down from her full-time job to a part-time capacity this November, is a big believer in The YMCA and especially The Summerville Family YMCA, which she describes as a “non-profit, family organization with Christian-based principles and 14,000 members.”
“It’s our biggest fund-raiser of the year, by far and we expect it to bring in anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 for the YMCA this year. The money goes into our budget for scholarships, financial assistance and membership fees. Last year, we gave away $300,000 towards these types of causes. However, The Flowertown Festival also benefits greater Summerville and the community with the vendor booths and both civic and business profits. It’s just so much fun to see the community coming out to see and enjoy everything,” says Parsons.
For more information about the event, visit https://summervilleymca.org/flowertown/ be sure to come visit Toast of Summerville’s booth where they will be serving breakfast all day: shrimp & grits and biscuit sandwiches.
