ABOUT US

Our story began decades ago when our Foundation’s president attended a Charles Dickens festival in Galveston, Texas. Captivated by its history, atmosphere, and Christmas magic, she left imagining how wonderful an experience like it could be in another community. The memory—and the dream it inspired—stayed with her for years.

She later shared the idea with her husband, and together they talked about what such an event could become. Years later, after finding themselves in the North Georgia mountains, the conversation began again. With his encouragement, she started imagining how special it would be to bring that same sense of wonder and Christmas magic to this area.

That long-held dream eventually found its home in Dillard. With the support of the City of Dillard, Dickens in Dillard was born. The first festival was created in an incredibly short amount of time and was largely self-funded. It came to life because family members, friends, volunteers, local businesses, and community supporters believed in the vision. They contributed countless hours, shared their talents, and provided donations and in-kind support to help transform an idea into a meaningful community experience.

The response was greater than we could have imagined. Residents and visitors embraced the festival, and we quickly realized that Dickens in Dillard should not be a one-time event. We wanted it to continue for years to come—growing more immersive, more memorable, and more meaningful with each celebration.

That vision led to the creation of Gather for Good Georgia Foundation, Inc. We brought together a dedicated group of people with backgrounds in healthcare, the arts, real estate, government, business, and community service. Although our experiences are different, we share one purpose: to create engaging community events that bring people together and give back to the nonprofit organizations serving our area.

Dickens in Dillard is our flagship event, but it is only the beginning. Our goal is to create additional experiences that give local residents something new and exciting to enjoy while also welcoming visitors to Rabun County. These events help showcase our community, bring greater visibility to the area, support local businesses, and contribute to the local economy. Most importantly, every event is created with a greater purpose: to give back.

Our model is designed so that sponsorships, vendor fees, donations, and community support help cover event expenses, allowing 100% of ticket sales to be donated to qualifying local nonprofit organizations. In this way, every ticket purchased does more than provide admission to a memorable event—it helps support organizations doing important work in our community.

Each year, nonprofit organizations located in Rabun County, serving our local community and surrounding areas, and maintaining active 501(c)(3) status are invited to apply for consideration as event beneficiaries. The Foundation’s Board of Directors carefully reviews each application and votes to select one or more beneficiaries based on:

• The organization’s mission and the cause it serves
• Its impact on Rabun County and the surrounding community
• The people or needs it supports
• Its plans for using the donated funds

The selected beneficiary or beneficiaries will be announced before each event so our guests, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and supporters can see how their participation will help make a meaningful difference.

Our story began with a dream to create a magical Christmas festival. That dream became Dickens in Dillard, and Dickens in Dillard inspired something even greater: a foundation dedicated to creating experiences with purpose.

Gather for Good Georgia Foundation creates community events that bring people together, welcome visitors, support our local economy, and give back to the nonprofit organizations doing important work close to home.

Because when our community gathers for good, everyone benefits.