Support Asheville Wellness Tours' Recovery

Help Asheville Wellness Tours Heal from Hurricane Helene

I am launching this campaign to humbly ask for your support for my sister, Nicole Will, and her small but mighty team at Asheville Wellness Tours (AWT) as they navigate a tough winter ahead after Hurricane Helene's devastating impact in North Carolina.

The storm raged through Western North Carolina (and beyond), impacting businesses and livelihoods during the beautiful Fall season which would usually carry them through the slower winter months. With the devastation Asheville endured, came infrastructure damage that AWT uses to operate their tours and help support the more than 50+ local wellness professionals and small businesses they collaborate with. (please see the statement from Nicole about their wider community below). Emerging from their initial period of caring for their team, community, and immediate needs, they are faced with the harsh reality of the next 6 months and realize that it is time to ask for help.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, AWT processed nearly $25,000 in refunds and are continuing to manage cancellation requests with bookings into the Spring of 2025. This projected loss is nearing $150,000 and climbing quickly. To be transparent, this is a crippling hurdle for their small business to overcome.

Nicole is certainly adventurous and resilient, hardworking, and dedicated. She will do what is necessary for her team and her community, but she does need outside help. Her team is full of incredible people, dedicated and passionate about sharing their experiences with others, nature, and Asheville.

Asheville Wellness Tours was founded on ideals of nature, tourism, and wellness and right now two of those elements won’t be replaced for some time. They would like to focus on program development for their current offerings and replace some of the more popular ones like goat yoga and yoga hikes that are not feasible in the current environment. They will need to be creative to emerge in a thoughtful, balanced, intentional way in the spring. They don’t sell any products, they’re a people business!

Unfortunately, because they don’t fit traditional funding categories, much available aid has been out of reach. This GoFundMe campaign is being launched to fund essential operations, support the team, get them back on their feet, and help them not only survive through the winter but thrive in the coming months. Every donation, big or small, will go directly to their business to aid in their recovery. Thank you for helping Nicole and her team in many ways to recover, rebuild, and thrive.

You may also consider purchasing an Asheville Wellness Tours gift card to come visit when you wish: https://ashevillewellnesstours.com/gift-certificates-for-wellness-experiences/

Or book a tour with availability for spaces that are open to visitors: https://ashevillewellnesstours.com/experiences/

Let’s ensure they emerge stronger this spring. ❤️

Update: 11.01.24

STATEMENT FROM NICOLE

Where to even begin? Capturing the impact of this moment in words is nearly impossible. Hurricane Helene has left absolute devastation in its wake. As we mourn unbelievable losses in our community, it is truly a challenge to force our gaze forward into the future. I struggle daily with this. But I’m also realizing that this is a critical juncture for my small business, and I owe it to my passionate, dedicated, incredible team at Asheville Wellness Tours to take a hard look at our current reality.

Here are some things I’d love for you to know about Asheville Wellness Tours:

We’re not a product company—we’re a people company. The heart and soul of our small business are the individuals we collaborate with. I am so proud to share that 75% of our revenue directly supports these people and their livelihoods.

Our Asheville Wellness Tours community is made up of:

12 yoga teachers,

8 tarot readers,

10 massage therapists,

2 family-owned farms,

4 sound bath musicians,

2 forest bathing guides,

3 chefs,

3 administrative geniuses,

1 marketing professional,

20+ local businesses,

and me.

We don’t spend on supplies or produce items. Instead, we create and support deeply meaningful memories, fun and lighthearted moments.

We are not artists in the traditional sense - but we are creative in how we craft stories and in the ways in which we add relaxation and rejuvenation to our guests’ adventures.

We don’t rent a physical space - but we hold space all of the time. We primarily do this in the wild, where nature helps us all relax, restore, and rebalance.

Because we don’t fit into traditional categories, we’re unfortunately falling through the cracks with much of the aid that is currently available.

But it’s because of all these reasons, these people, and these values that I believe in my bones that Asheville Wellness Tours is worth saving.

43% of small businesses fail after a disaster like the one we just experienced. Another 10% close in the year following. I’m fighting so hard to make sure Asheville Wellness Tours isn’t on that list and am waking up to the hard reality that it’s time to lean into wider support in order to do so.

Though we embrace nature’s rhythms, we can’t afford to hibernate this winter. Instead, we must focus on developing creative programs to strengthen our offerings and replace favorites like goat yoga and yoga hikes, which may no longer be possible due to the storm’s impact. Bringing our team back now is essential if we’re to emerge thoughtfully and intentionally by spring.

I’m overwhelmed with gratitude to each and every past guest, friend, colleague, family member, acquaintance, or stranger who reached out just to check on us, the forest, the mountains, our community, and even the fireflies. Your kind words have made me feel safe enough to share the reality of our situation and have reminded me that Asheville Wellness Tours makes a difference in people’s lives.

With your help, Asheville Wellness Tours will be able to take an active role in the restoration of our beautiful home as we move from survival mode to a generative space of creative collaboration.

If you’ve enjoyed a peaceful moment on the mountaintop during a yoga hike, felt pure joy in goat yoga, connected more deeply with nature on a forest bathing retreat, relaxed into a massage, discovered your own intuition during a tarot reading, experienced rest and balance in a sound bath, or simply believe in the magic we’re passionate about creating, I invite you to be part of our recovery.