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Email Announcements Received Today:

1) Lilies of the Field Screening Feb. 19

Third Thursday, the Watauga County Public Library’s movie discussion group invites you to join us for a viewing of Lilies of the Field on Feb. 19 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.mDirector Ralph Nelson’s 1963 film adaptation of William Edmund Barrett’s novel Lilies of the Field tells the story of a wandering ex-G.I. who is waylaid by a group of German Nuns. Soon, what starts out as a simple roof repair turns into the construction of a new chapel. This film stars Sidney Poitier and, in 1964, he became the first African American to win an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his part in this movie. This film has an MPAA rating of Unrated and an approximate run-time of 94 minutes. For more information please call (828) 264-8784 ext. 2

2) Mast Store Hosts Be a Sweetheart, Feed the Hungry, Feb. 14 & 15

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Mast General Store and the Hunger and Health Coalition have a way you can give a gift of love not only to your sweetheart, but also to your community. On Feb. 14 and 15, when you purchase a pound of candy for your Valentine, Mast Store will match that pound with a $1 donation to the Hunger and Health Coalition to help feed the hungry in the High Country. This is the twelfth year that Mast Store has partnered with its local communities’ food security agencies to bolster their pantries in the lull after the holidays. “It is important to do what we can to help those who are hungry,” says Fred Martin, president of Mast General Store. “You never know who may be using these services – a family that is struggling to make ends meet, a senior citizen who may have to make a choice between their medicine and food, or a neighbor who just lost his job. At any point in time, any of us may face these situations.” It is amazing what the Hunger and Health Coalition can do. Through volunteers and powerful networks, they can transform a $1 gift into $7 in food value. That’s proof positive that a little can do A LOT! In Watauga County alone, over 26% of the population lives below the poverty line, and others that make more than the government’s minimum income do not have enough funds to meet their basic needs. In 2014, the Hunger and Health Coalition served almost 12,000 families. Stop by the Hunger and Health Coalition information tables at the Mast Stores in the High Country to find out more about the organization and how a gift to your sweetheart will have double the impact. For more details, contact the Mast General Store in Downtown Boone at 828-262-0000 or the Original Store and Annex in Valle Crucis at 828-963-6511.

3) CHAMP Screenings Begin March 5

To help older adults learn how to prevent falls, Appalachian State University’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Institute for Health and Human Services will begin offering free monthly CHAMP screenings at two locations in Watauga County beginning in March. CHAMP stands for Community Health and Mobility Partnership. This partnership between Appalachian State University and the community is designed to improve strength, balance and mobility to help older individuals avoid falls and stay independent and active for life. The screenings will be conducted by a nurse and physical therapist who will identify participants at risk for falls and provide individualized fall prevention recommendations. Area health care practitioners or home health workers are encouraged to refer patients to this service. Monthly assessments will be held for the general public at both Appalachian Brian Estates and the L.E. Harrill Senior Center in Boone. To set up an appointment for a screening, call Carol Cook at 828-262-7155. Appalachian Brian Estates will host screenings from 1 – 4:30 p.m. on these dates: March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 16, Aug. 20, Sept. 3,Oct. 1 and Nov. 5. You do not have to be a resident to schedule an appointment. Appalachian Brian Estates is located at 163 Shadowline Dr. in Boone. The L.E. Harrill Senior Center will host screenings from 8 a.m. to noon on these dates: March 27, April 24, May 22, June 26, July 24, Aug. 28, Sept.18, Oct. 23 and Nov. 20. The center is located in the Watauga County Human Services Building at 132 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite A.

4) New Boone Restaurant Dedicates Grand Opening to Benefit Underprivileged and Orphanages.

The new Trout & Barrel Restaurant at 2968 Highway 105, Boone will open Saturday, February 21st with a Benefit Masquerade Party. Owners, Jonathon (“Truby”) Proctor, Rayland Wilson and Mike Self, will dedicate opening night, to help AJ Best raise funds to purchase, transport and distribute medical and school supplies to HIV/AIDS ravished Tanzania. All supplies will be personally distributed by Best and other Friends-Together volunteers in the Moshi region of Tanzania during July 2015. The benefit event at Trout & Barrel Restaurant will be a Masquerade Party from 7-11pm Saturday, February 21st. Ticket prices will include live music from Bandam, Cajun inspired food and drink, a costume contest and a silent auction. Tickets in advance $30/person or $50/couple or $35/person at the door.  Contact AJ Best at skajbest@gmail.com or 828.508.7910 for ticket information. Friends-Together is a nonprofit organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS advocacy, education and awareness nationally and internationally. The July trip will be the third medical and school supply relief trip to Tanzania. Unlike other nonprofit organizations, this one takes no money off the top. Volunteers are responsible for raising funds/supplies and transporting them to Moshi, Tanzania where the group will meet.  Best and others will spend the first week climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to increase awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Tanzania. The next 3 weeks they will be delivering medical and school supplies and working at rural schools, orphanages and medical clinics.  More information can be found at friendstogether.org. Best, a former Peace Corps volunteer, has done several fundraising and awareness events, including a bike ride from CA to FL for the Susan G Komen Foundation and multiple walking marathons for the Arthritis Foundation as a team coach.  The hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro adds the challenge of exercising at over 19,000 feet. For more about Best, visit her online fundraising site at www.crowdrise.com/ajbest. For more information regarding the Masquerade Party or other ways to donate medical or school supplies please contact AJ Best at skajbest@gmail.com.