Mardi Gras Court

Bryson & Ashlyn Burt

Bryson and Ashlyn are proud to support REACH and its mission to help abused women and children find safety and hope.

As the owners of The 28734 Store, they have created a must-visit shop in downtown Franklin, offering unique souvenirs and keepsakes that celebrate the heart of the community.

In addition to their business, Bryson is a mortgage broker at Union Home Mortgage in Franklin and serves as a board member on the Franklin Chamber of Commerce.

Committed to making a difference, both Bryson and Ashlyn are passionate about giving back and supporting those in need.

Excitedly preparing to welcome their first child this summer, they look forward to raising their family in a community they love and continuing to make a positive impact!

Jami and Nick

Howdy folks! We are Jami and Nick and we are excited to announce that we are running for the 2025 8th Annual Mardi Gras Dinner Party Fundraiser!

Jami and Nick both grew up in Franklin, attended Franklin High School and graduated from Western Carolina University. They recently got engaged and will be getting married in October of 2025. Jami is the Radiography Clinical Coordinator at SCC and Nick owns Fox Mercantile in Franklin. 

Jami and Nick both love the outdoors, traveling, cooking and adventuring to new destinations to explore cultures, food and new landscapes. They have two dogs, Wynnie and Boudin, both which you can normally find at Fox Mercantile through the work week. They attend Discover Church and love their community and the place they both call home. 

“We are excited to help raise funds for such a great cause - eradicating domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. We encourage everyone to donate what you can to help REACH of Macon County raise funds to continue their mission in Macon County. We appreciate your support and let’s make this the biggest year for the Mardi Gras Dinner Party Fundraiser to date! Thank you for your support! 

Jessica and Dustin Mason

Jessica and Dustin Mason, both natives of Franklin, North Carolina, have been together for 17 years and are the proud parents of two children, Addison and Jesse.

Jessica is the co-owner of Mason Peak Mountain Properties, a real estate firm she established with her father, Michael Peak. As a licensed North Carolina real estate broker, she has been serving the Macon County area for nearly a decade, helping clients find their dream homes in Western North Carolina.

Dustin is the owner of Mason Building & Repair, LLC bringing over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. His company specializes in remodeling projects, as well as maintenance and repair services, catering to the needs of the local community.

Both Jessica and Dustin are graduates of Franklin High School, and Jessica attended Western Carolina University. They attend church as a family at Discover Church and love serving in the nursery and kids program there.

In their leisure time, the Mason's enjoy boating on nearby lakes. They love watching their kiddos play local county league sports. This is a new adventure for them as their son Jesse is in his first basketball season! When they get an occasional date night Dustin and Jessica appreciate exploring new restaurants away from the area and trying new things.

Jay Pearce and Anna Stager

Hi everyone! We are Jay Pearce and Anna Stager! We currently reside in Jackson County, NC! Located just over Cowee Mountain in the lovely community of East Fork.

I am a local Real Estate Broker at Unique Properties in Franklin, NC. Jay works for Budweiser of Asheville which is located in Sylva, NC.

Originally I was born in Miami, FL but moved to Franklin with my parents in the mid 80s. I grew up in Franklin and consider it my home. I am a proud mother of 4 amazing children and a Granna to an amazing grandson! You may know them... Chloe Cochran (26) married to Britt Cochran and they have Pax who is 1 year old. They reside in Franklin.
Jeffrey Tallent (23) of Franklin, Brenna Tallent (16) of Franklin, and Brooklyn Tallent (12) of Franklin. Jay also has 2 amazing twin boys...Grant Pearce (26) of Cumming, Ga and Brice Pearce (26) of Roswell, Ga. Jay is originally from Orlando, FL. He grew up in Sylva, NC. He went into the army after High School and then after the army moved to Forsythe County, Ga. He owned his own company while he lived there that manufactured toner cartridges for laser printers. Eventually he moved back to Sylva, NC during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. We met in 2021 on a date set up by a very dear friend of ours! We fell in love and have been doing life together since!

We enjoy hiking, running, visiting breweries, listening to classic vinyl and spending time with our little pup Tripp! I am also part of The Rotary Club of Franklin where we believe in putting "service above self" It is mine and Jay's honor to advocate for the eradication of domestic violence! We know several friends who have experience some type of domestic or sexual assult at some point in their life and we know how detrimental it can be for many years to come! We are asking our friends and supporters to please search and #reachwithin their hearts or pockets if at all possible and help by donating to this wonderful Cause! Thank you so much from team Jay and Anna!