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Email Announcements We Are Receiving Today: See What’s Going On Around The Community

1) Becky Alghrary-McRee Presents Program at Newland Library

On Thursday, June 12, author Becky Alghrary-McRee will present a program at the Avery Morrison Library in Newland. She will be speaking about her new book, “From the Catawba to the Tigris” that was recently released, and how she collected all of the memories featured in the book through her travels and life in the Middle East. Alghrary-McRee was married to an Iraqi for many years and lived in Iraq for a year. In her talk, she will relive her unusual adventures and the different culture into which she became immersed. The event will be held at 6:30 p.m.

2) Grand Opening of Grandfather Mountain State Park’s Kids in Parks TRACK Trail

The Kids in Parks TRACK Trails program is a network of family-friendly trails in public lands designed to get kids “unplugged” outdoors and reconnected with nature for their health and the health of our parks. Each TRACK Trail is a series of self-guided adventures that will turn an ordinary hike into a fun-filled outdoor experience. Kids can earn prizes for tracking their TRACK Trail adventures in an online nature journal. The Grandfather Mountain STate Park TRACK Trail follows the first mile of the Profile Trail and is appropriate for children. The Grand Opening event will include ranger led hikes on the TRACK Trail. The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. with hikes beginning at 3:45 and 4 p.m. Each hike will be two miles in length and the event is free and open to the publi. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, no pets please. Kids in Parks is an initiative of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and its partners include the North Carolina State Parks system, the Blue RIdge Parkway and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina FOudnation.

3) LMC Cycling Sponsors BIKEN2N for Team Red, White and Blue

The Lees-McRae Cycling program is honored to sponsor the BikeN2N event from May 28-May 31. The event was founded by LMC Director of Cycling Tim Hall and it is a four-day, 444-mile bike tour along the historic Natchez Trace Parkway. It begins in Natchez, Miss. and will end in Nashville, Tenn. The ride is a charity event to sponsor Team Red, White and Blue. Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. The event has grown from eight riders in 2013 to more than 20 in 2014. Last year, LMC raised $14,000 but has clipped the $70,000 mark on its way to the goal of $75,000. “It is an honor for me and Lees-McRae Cycling to lend our support to Team Red, White and Blue. Ninety percent of the money we raise goes directly to benefit our veterans to get them engaged in social and physical activities in their local communities,” said Hall. “In this day and age it is up to we the people to step up and support our veterans, and I am thrilled to see us have such a big impact through our ride.

4) Watauga-Ashe-Wilkes Scholarship Honors Recipients

The Watauga-Ashe-Wilkes Scholarship Board honored its 2014 recipients and their families with a dinner banquet on May 8 at Brushy Mountain Smokehouse in Wilkesboro. The Watauga-Ashe-Wilkes Scholarship is a $2,000 renewable scholarship awarded to students in each of the three counties. Recipients are eligible to receive a total of $8,000 in scholarship support over four years. Since 2001, more than $280,000 has been awarded to more than 50 students to support the pursuit of higher education. The 2014 Ashe County recipients are Luke Eggers, son of Nathan Angela Eggers; and Kelsey Hayes, daughter of Burman and Joyce Hayes. The 2014 Watauga County recipients are Tristan Rodriguez, son of Diana Rodriguez; and Caleb Presnell, son of Chip and Tina Presnell. The 2014 Wilkes County  recipients are Caleb Hart, son of Russell and Jennifer Hart; and Guadelupe Rosales, son of Eulalio Rosales and Gracia Ocampo.