1) Horse Helpers and Chester at Appalachian Mountain Brewery on Sunday
Horse Helpers of the High Country is a current recipient of Appalachian Mountain Brewery’s Pints for Non-Profits for the month of June. To celebrate AMB’s community spirit, on Sunday afternoon, June 28, 3-5 p.m., Horse Helpers will be at AMB with Chester, a miniature horse and the star of the children’s book, Chester’s Barn. Horse Helpers and AMB invite the public to come to the Brewery to meet Chester and hear his story of how he came to live at Horse Helpers. Chester’s stall mate, Hank, a blue-eyed miniature horse, may also tag along with Chester. It will be a fun afternoon for all family members – please come join us.
2) Free Zumba Gold Classes for Ages 50 and up
This is extremely fun exercise similar to line dancing to upbeat music. Sponsored by the Western Watauga Community Center in Sugar Grove. Offered twice per week beginning on Thursday, June 25. Mondays 9:30-10:30 a.m., Thursdays 12:15-1:15 p.m. Zumba Gold exercise program is designed to enhance balance, increase flexibility and strength and increases happiness. Instructor: Jennifer Harr, certified and licensed Zumba instructor. Call Toni for information or to sign up at 828-297-5195. Sign up at the Western Watauga Senior center 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
3) Yoga at Western Watauga Community Center
Sign up for Yoga classes now. Great for beginners and seniors. Lasts seven weeks. $35 prepaid. Meets from 11 a.m. to noon on Thursdays. First class starts July 2. Last class on Aug. 13. Sign up by Thursday July 2 at 10:30 a.m. at the Western Watauga Community Center. Call 828-297-5195 for more information. Classes will be held at the Jung Tao School upstairs. Instructor: Jennie Thornton Brooks.
4) Step Up for Yellow Mountain Auction in Newland on June 27
Join the fifth annual Step Up For Yellow Mountain Auction on Saturday, June 27 and enjoy great deals on a variety of donated items.Mr. Woolly Worm Roy Krege will serve as auctioneer. Live music will be offered during the silent auction portion. Delicious homemade finger foods, iced tea and coffee will be available, with others available at a nominal cost. The auction begins at 4 p.m. at the Mountain Glen Clubhouse in Newland. Items up for auction include golf packages, tickets to the 2016 Nascar Sprint Cup race, an autographed Georgia Tech football helmet, sculptures, dining certificates, tickets to Dollywood and Dixie Stampede, event tickets to Pigeon Forge attractions, football tickets for ASU and NCSU, ski passes for Beech and Sugar, park hopper passes to Walt Disney World, an autographed ACC football helmet, an autographed Carolina Panthers football, a Las Vegas slot machine and more. All proceeds benefit the clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities served by Yellow Mountain Enterprises.
5) Brittney Whiteside Joins ASU as Associate Athletic Director
Director of athletics Doug Gillin announced on Monday that Brittney Whiteside will join Appalachian State University’s athletics staff as an associate athletics director.
In her role, Whiteside will serve as a member of the athletics department’s executive team and be the sport administrator for various Appalachian State sports. She will also develop and oversee a number of student-athlete initiatives, work directly with the department’s senior staff on women’s sports initiatives, cost of attendance and financial aid, develop enhanced strategies at Kidd Brewer Stadium, work as part of a team to assess facility needs and participate in key fundraising activities. She will also work closely with Gillin on all budget-related items and key department hiring decisions.
She comes to Appalachian State from the University of Missouri, where she served as director of external engagement since October 2014 with a primary focus on overseeing and coordinating all premium seating at Mizzou’s athletics facilities. She also assisted with the development of community outreach programs and created new customer service initiatives to enhance gameday experiences during her time at Missouri.
Whiteside worked directly with Gillin, who previously served as Missouri’s deputy athletics director, from her arrival at Mizzou last October until Gillin’s departure to become Appalachian State’s A.D. in April.
“I am ecstatic that Brittney will join our staff,” Gillin said. “I learned during our time together at Missouri that she is a rising star in athletics administration. Her experience in a wide variety of roles within college athletics, including as a student-athlete, will be extremely beneficial to our department, student-athletes, coaches and fans.”
Prior to her stint at Missouri, Whiteside was a special assistant to the athletics director at her alma mater, Wright State University, for two years (November 2012-October 2014). In that role, she worked in a variety of areas across the athletics department, including assisting in all daily internal and external operations, overseeing special projects and fundraising events, assisting with capital projects and analytical research and overseeing and administering student-athlete development and community involvement initiatives. She also designed and oversaw WSU’s student-athlete advisory committee and CHAMPS/Life Skills program, including facilitating community partners to sponsor the program.
Whiteside was a women’s basketball student-athlete at Wright State from 2003-07. She was a four-time Horizon League all-conference and all-defensive team performer and finished her career ranked third on the Raiders’ all-time scoring list. She was also named a strength-and-conditioning all-American in 2007 and Wright State’s Female Athlete of the Year for 2006-07.
She went on to play professionally in Germany, spending four years as a point guard for the USC Freiburg, SV Halle Lions and TSV Amicitia basketball clubs before returning to the United States to begin her career in athletics administration.
A dean’s list student throughout her academic career at Wright State, Whiteside graduated with a B.S. in psychology in 2007. She went on to earn a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Wright State in 2012.
“I’m excited to become a part of the Appalachian State family,” Whiteside said. “I look forward to joining Doug Gillin and assisting as the Mountaineers continue to achieve great things on and off the fields and courts.”