Community members, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and local supporters gathered at Saluda Station on June 30 to celebrate the official public launch of the Saluda Community Alliance (SCA), marking an exciting new chapter in community collaboration while honoring one of Saluda’s most dedicated volunteers, Glenn Franklin.
The evening featured an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, opportunities for community networking, information about SCA membership, and the presentation of the 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award to Glenn Franklin, whose decades of service have helped shape the Saluda community.
The Saluda Community Alliance was formed in 2025 when the Saluda Downtown Foundation and the Saluda Business Association united their efforts under one organization. The alliance brings together the strengths and legacies of both organizations while expanding opportunities to connect residents, businesses, nonprofits, and visitors.
Together, the organizations carry forward decades of community service. The Saluda Business Association’s legacy includes business advocacy, downtown beautification projects such as the Main Street benches, stewardship of Saluda.com, and signature events including Hometown Christmas. The Saluda Downtown Foundation has long supported the arts, historic preservation, beautification, conservation, cultural development, and economic development throughout Saluda. These accomplishments include producing the Saluda Arts Festival, now in its third decade and welcoming more than 6,000 visitors annually; organizing the free Top of the Grade Concert Series in McCreery Park; supporting the creation and continued growth of the Mountain Song Community Chorus; operating the Saluda Visitor Center from 2020 through 2024; and leading disaster recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. Through the Saluda Disaster Recovery Fund, the organization contributed $10,000 in seed funding and raised an additional $50,000, with more than 90 percent of the funds distributed within 45 days to help local businesses recover, retain employees, and reopen.
Today, the Saluda Community Alliance continues that work by supporting community events including the Saluda Arts Festival, Top of the Grade Concert Series, Mountain Song Community Chorus, Halloween Stroll, and Hometown Christmas. The organization also hosts monthly Community Connection meetings, maintains Saluda.com and its social media platforms, and serves as a central resource for local news, events, businesses, nonprofits, and community engagement.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award to Glenn Franklin.
Franklin was recognized for her lifelong dedication to Saluda through countless volunteer efforts, generous philanthropy, thoughtful leadership, and unwavering commitment to improving the community. She served as a founding member of Friends of McCreery Park, was instrumental in helping establish the Saluda Visitor center and continues to serve as a longtime member of the City Planning Board.Throughout the years, she has quietly supported numerous organizations and initiatives, often working behind the scenes to help projects succeed without seeking recognition.
“What makes Glenn extraordinary isn’t simply that she volunteers—it’s how she volunteers,” said SCA representatives during the award presentation. “She gives her time, her resources, and perhaps most importantly, her wisdom, always without seeking recognition. Much of her greatest work happens quietly, long before a project becomes visible to the public. She has spent years showing up wherever the work needed to be done.”
The Saluda Community Alliance invites residents, business owners, nonprofit organizations, and community members to become involved through membership, volunteering, and participation in its many programs and events. Community Connection meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the Saluda Library Conference Room and are open to anyone interested in working together to strengthen Saluda. Whether you represent a business, nonprofit, civic organization, or simply want to be more involved in your community, everyone is welcome to attend.
By bringing people together around a shared vision, the Alliance aims to preserve Saluda’s history while creating new opportunities for connection, collaboration, and community growth—creating a place where people can truly Live • Visit • Belong.
For more information about the Saluda Community Alliance, membership opportunities, or upcoming events, visit Saluda.com.