KENNESAW - Total Wine & More opened its doors Saturday at its first Georgia location on Barrett Parkway, but the wine superstore already is doing its part to support the community.

Kennesaw Mayor Leonard Church said he Total Wine & More approached him about the store donating $10,000 to city community projects or charities of his choosing.

"They came to me wanting to do the ribbon cutting and to bring $10,000 into the community," Church said.

He said he was asked to decide how to spend the money, dividing it equally between two projects. Church donated $5,000 to the Kennesaw Optimist Club and its youth projects and $5,000 to the planned Kennesaw Skate Park at Swift-Cantrell Park.

A member of the Kennesaw Optimist Club, Church said money the club collects helps fund youth projects and scholarships. He's designated that the $5,000 be divided in two for this year's and next year's Secret Santa fund where the club fills stockings for youth at Christmas time.

"Everything we do is for the youth of the community," Church said.

Youth and their skateboards were the second benefactors of Total Wine & More's donation.

Church said he's always supported parks, and he would like to see the skateboarding youth of the community find a safe home in Kennesaw.

"Skateboarding has become big recreation and they don't have anywhere to go," Church said. "The skate park gives them a place to play. It keeps them off the streets and out of trouble."

Church said the skate park is not part of the present development under way at Swift-Cantrell Park. The next step for the park is to draw plans so potential donors can visualize a completed park.

While money for the two youth projects comes from a wine and beer store, Church said Kennesaw has a zero tolerance for underage alcohol sales. And he said he's accepting the money from the superstore on good faith.

"It was a good gesture on their part," Church said.

David Trone, managing partner for Total Wine & More said the Kennesaw donation is not a first for the company.

"Each time we do a grand opening, we work with the local community to identify a local charity or charities we can work with," he said.

He said the mayors pick the projects, and they typically look for something for which they can do a good deed.

Total Wine & More has 47 superstores nationwide that carry more than 8,000 different wines and 1,000 different beers.

Even though Total Wine & More has a Kennesaw address, its location is just outside city limits. But Church said the company wanted to put money back in the community and he's appreciative they chose Kennesaw.

"It's a great deal when you have businesses in the city or on the outskirts invest in the city," he said.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

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