1) Special Olympics Torch Run May 21
The 2014 Special Olympics Torch Run will be held on Wednesday, May 21 starting at 9 a.m. from Boone Police Department. Runners will travel to the ASU Police Department and then back to the Boone Police Department. Members of the public are invited to join us for this non-competitive run. Special Olympics t-shirts will be available at the Boone Police Department for anyone that would like to purchase one.
2) Boone Worthwhile Women’s Club Meets May 27
The Boone Worthwhile Women’s Club will meet on Tuesday, May 27 at 11:30 a.m. at the Sagebrush Steakhouse. Officers for 2014 are: President, Baben Patricelli; Vice President, Frances Arnold; Secretary, Barbara Bernstein; Treasurer, Marie Schaedler. For more information call Frances at 828-262-0155 or Baben at 828-264-2539.
3) Grandfather Mountain Earns 2014 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
For the third consecutive year, Grandfather Mountain has earned a Certificate of Excellence from traveler review website TripAdvisor. The accolade honors excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor.com. Award recipients represent the upper echelon of businesses listed on “the world’s largest travel site.” “We are honored and proud to receive this award for the third year in a row,” said Public Relations Specialist Kellen Short. “There is no greater measure of our success than hearing ‘job well done’ from our valued guests and e thank all of our visitors who took the time to share their opinions online.” In selecting award winners, TripAdvisor uses an algorithm that takes into account review ratings, overall ratings and the volume and recency of reviews. To earn a Certificate of Excellence, the business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor rating of at least four out of five. Grandfather Mountain currently holds a 4.5 overall rating based on its 599 visitor reviews. Approximately 250,000 people visit Grandfather Mountain in Linville each year. The park is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas and when winter weather prohibits. During the summer, the nonprofit nature preserve offers a wide variety of special events and daily programs including habitat animal enrichments, naturalist programs and guided hikes. “TripAdvisor is pleased to honor exceptional hospitality businesses for consistent excellence,” said Marc Charron, president of TripAdvisor for Business. “The Certificate of Excellence award gives top-performing establishments around the world the recognition they deserve, based on feedback from those who matter most — their customers. From Australia to Zimbabwe, we want to applaud exception hospitality businesses for offering TripAdvisor travelers a great customer experience.”
4) LMC Men’s Basketball Announces Date for Elite Camp
Lees-McRae men’s basketball coach Steve Hardin is pleased to announce the date of the men’s basketball 2014 Elite Camp. The camp will take place on Saturday, June 14 from 1-5 p.m. It is for rising 9-12th graders and will cost $50. The camp will be open to family members and college coaches while a campus tour will be provided prior to the start of the camp. Participants will enjoy great competition from the best players on the East Coast and will receive free LMC college applications. For more information contact assistant coach Daniel Waln at 336-977-3062
5) Casting Bread Ministries Seeks Support for Matching Funds Challenge
Casting Bread Ministries is pleased to be among 30 food assistance organizations across Northwest North Carolina each selected to receive up to $500 in matching funds through a challenge grant opportunity provided by Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. “The need in our community is great and continues to grow,” said Susan Stutts. “We are asking everyone with the means to give a gift, however great or small, to help us reach our goal of raising $500 by June 6. A gift of $5 will become $10 through Second Harvest Food Bank’s Matching Grant program, and help us to provide critical nutritional support for our neighbors in need.” “Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC is proud to partner with more than 400 charitable food assistance programs across 18 counties to provide food and other resources to address the significant problem of hunter in our region,” sand Nikki McCormick, Director of Agency Relations. “Casting Bread’s application stood out among a large group of worthy recipients. We are thrilled to be able to provide further assistance in support of their vitally important work.” Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwestern NC’s Mtching Grants program strives to strengthen the ability of its partner programs to address food insecurity in local communities across Northwest NC. The 2014 Grant Program was made possible through a generous gift from the estate of Sandra Lou Krikham Gallant, a former Second Harvest Food Bank board member and ardent supporter of the organization, as well as many other area nonprofits. All funds will be used toward Shared Maintenance Fees/Rural Delivery Fees to obtain healthy food available at Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. While certain products are available at no fee and there are many additional benefits provided through our partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank, a fee as assessed on some available products to provide modest support for Second Harvest Food Bank Operations which benefit our local community.
6) ASU Summer Dance Series
The 2014 Summer Dance Series, sponsored by Appalachian State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will be held June 3-26. The classes are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and are open to all dancers, experienced, inexperienced, young and young at heart. Come out to one or try them all! Wednesday classes are open to those who have previous experience in the technique. Kids ages 10 and up are welcome to most classes. Younger children are welcome with a adult. All classes will be held in Varsity Gym room 208. There is no obligation to attend all classes, so come when you can. In lieu of a class fee, donations are welcome.
7) Free Summer Meals for Children to be Offered at Cove Creek School
Free breakfast and lunch will be available to children and youth ages 18 and under at Cove Creek School on Mondays through Thursdays from June 16-July 22. The summer feeding program will provide a free breakfast between 8-9 a.m. and a free lunch between 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for anyone 18 or under who comes to the school cafeteria accompanied by a parent or other adult. Children must be transported to the site by a parent or guardian and the parent or guardian must remain with the children while they eat. Unattended children cannot be dropped off at the site and will not be served. The meals must be consumed on site at the school; “take out” orders are not available. Adults will not be able to purchase a meal but can bring one if they wish to eat with their children. “We are very pleased to be able to offer this service to local families,” said Superintendent Dr. David Fonseca. “It is a goal we have pursued for over a year and now we know Cove Creek will host a summer reading camp, we look forward to providing free meals there. We encourage families to take advantage of the program.” No application or approval process is required for children to receive free meals at Cove Creek. “All they need to do is show up with an adult, wash their hands and go through the line to be served,” said Child Nutrition Director Monica Adams. Because Cove Creek is a Title I school, meaning that more than 50 percent of students receive free or reduced price school meals, federal funds will reimburse the Watauga County Schools for meals served to children during the summer program. “The reimbursements are not enough to cover the costs of providing free meals as a separate service in schools, but they do make it possible to provide this service while summer reading camp is open,” said Adams. “We are hoping the program will help a lot of children in families that can use a little assistance to keep everyone fed.” The summer reading camp at Cove Creek is for third graders receiving intensive reading instruction to help prepare them for fourth grade. A similar reading camp will operate at Hardin Park School but the site will only serve meals to children enrolled in the reading program. Hardin Park is not a Title I school and is therefore not eligible for federal funding for a summer feeding program. However, all students enrolled in the summer reading camp at Hardin Park will be eligible for free breakfast and lunch while attending the program. The third graders who will attend the summer reading camp in the Watauga County Schools will not be identified until near the end of the school year. Parents of third graders who should attend the reading camp will be notified by their school during the second week in June.
8) Banner Elk Independence Day Parade Held July 4
Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce invites everyone to join in the Independence Day Parade in Downtown Banner Elk. THe parade is always on the Fourth of July, and begins at 11 a.m. It starts at Lees-McRae College and travels down Main Street ending in Tate-Evans Park. Line up for the parade starts at 10 a.m., no registration needed! Rain or shine. It is a wonderful, family-friendly event that has become a Banner Elk tradition. Following the parade the Kiwanis Club and Town of Banner Elk hold a Party in the Park.
9) Greater Banner Elk Heritage Celebration Held July 19
The greater Banner Elk Heritage Foundation will hold a Heritage Day Celebration on July 18. The day of events is free of charge. The day will begin at 9 a.m. with a bus tour of historic Banner Elk, sponsored by Lees-McRae College. Tours of the Banner House Museum will run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Traditional music, craft displays and demonstrations will be held at the Banner House Museum from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Starting at 1 p.m., the celebration will move to Tate Evans Park. Here, musical entertainment will be provided by The Corklickers, cloggers, Amantha Mill, Rhody Jane. There will be inflatables at the park for the children. A beautiful quilt that has been on display will be given away to a raffle winner at the concert in Tate-Evans Park. Raffle tickets will be available to purchase at the park before the drawing. AC Pride (The Old Banner Elk Elementary School) will have an antique quilt display from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. A small donation for the preservation of the quilts will be asked. For more information call 828-898-3634.