14th Annual Blood Sweat & Gears
The countdown is on for the 14th annual Blood Sweat & Gears. The 100-mile bicycle route, scheduled for Saturday, June 23, sold out in seven hours, and the 52-mile route on the same day sold out in 10 hours.
The BSG is a challenging to strenuous full English century – 100 mile loop ride starting and ending at the Valle Crucis Elementary School, approximately 5 miles south of Boone, North Carolina. The route roughly circles Boone through the outskirts of Watauga County, the heart of North Carolina’s High Country. The terrain is constantly changing with hills of all lengths and curves too numerous to count. The cumulative climbing elevation is 13,000+ feet, with the climb up to the gap at Snake Mountain, milepoint 63, reaching an 18-20% grade near the top.
Read more at MountainTimes.com.
Read moreMusic in the Valle 2012
The “Music in the Valle 2012″ Concert Series at Valle Crucis Community Park starts May 25th and continues each Friday evening through August. Admission is free; bring a chair or a blanket and family & friends. All concerts start at 7:00PM • See Schedule at www.vallecrucispark.com
Music In The Valle Schedule 2012
MAY
25th • Ital Seeds, Sponsored by A.P.E.
JUNE
1st • Brother Gravity, Sponsored by Wren’s Nest Landscaping & Garden Center
8th • The Mountain Laurels, Sponsored by Rivercross Market
15th • Sound Traveler, Sponsored by Valle Crucis Conference Center
22nd • The Major Sevens, Sponsored by High Country Local First
29th • The Worthless Son-in-Laws, Sponsored by the Justus and Nettle’s Ridge ‘Hood
JULY
6th • Creekside Grass, Sponsored by The 1861 Farmhouse
13th • The Wild Rumpus, Sponsored by Peabody’s Wine & Beer
20th • Kent Doobrow & Midnight Sun, Sponsored by Stick Boy Bread Company
27th • High Standards, Sponsored by Holy Cross Church
AUGUST
3rd • Dashboard Hula Boys, Sponsored by Valle Crucis School PTSA
10th • The Neighbors, Sponsored by Mast General Store
17th • 8 Miles Apart
24th • Folk and Dagger
31st • Zephyr Lighting Bolts, Sponsored by Western Youth Network
St. John’s Summer Sunday Concerts
This summer beginning May 29 St. John’s Episcopal Church will host a Summer Concert Series. Each concert will be followed by a picnic on the grounds. Below are a schedule of this years concerts:
May 29, 5:00 p.m.
Singin’ in the Valle
Holy Cross Choir
No Charge
July 3, 5:00 p.m.
Todd Wright Ensemble
Jazz
August 7, 5:00 p.m.
Whitetop Mountain Band
Typical Mountain Music
September 4, 5:00 p.m.
Cathedral Choir from Trinity Cathedral in Columbia, SC
A capella
Read more
Be a Sweetheart…Feed the Hungry
Someone special is usually on our minds as Valentine’s Day approaches. In celebration of a relationship, gifts and cards are usually exchanged and oftentimes a wonderful meal is enjoyed. However, there are others to whom even a hot, nutritious meal is a luxury. To help everyone have a meal, Mast General Store is partnering with the Hunger and Health Coalition to raise awareness of hunger in the High Country with its eighth annual Be a Sweetheart…Feed the Hungry event on February 12th and 13th.
Hunger is a major force in the High Country. Since 2008, food distribution by the Hunger and Health Coalition has increased 61%. According to a release from the Food Research and Action Center, 47 states and the District of Columbia had food hardship, meaning that survey respondents could not afford to purchase the food that they or their families needed, 14% of the time during the first half of 2010. There were sixteen states that had 20% or higher food hardship rates. “Over the last couple of years, the need has increased dramatically,” said Compton Fortuna, executive director for the Hunger and Health Coalition.
Fred Martin, vice president of the Mast General Store, commented, “Our Be a Sweetheart…Feed the Hungry event has helped provide food to the food banks serving our local communities at a time when donations are at a lower level. After the holidays, donations tend to wane, and in these challenging economic times, we need to help our neighbors whenever we can.” This year Mast Store will contribute $1 for each pound of candy purchased on February 12th and 13th.
“It is just amazing what these organizations can do with a dollar,” said Martin. “With the help of donations and contributions by restaurants and vendors, spare change can feed a person three hot, healthy meals. Any amount can help.”
Over 2,600 families were served during the last quarter of 2010, totaling 8,000 people. Each family received a food package containing canned items, fresh meat, dairy, frozen items, personal hygiene items, and other non-food items. Those being served can pick up boxes like this twice each month.
Like many non-profit organizations, the Hunger and Health Coalition relies on volunteers and donations for much of its success. There are many opportunities to get involved on a personal or group level as well as learning how you can fight hunger in your community. You can find out more at the organization’s website – www.hungerandhealthcoalition.com.
“We are excited about this partnership,” said Fortuna. “It is a creative way to raise awareness of the Hunger and Health Coalition and the work it does in the community, and it’s always good when you can give a gift to someone you love and have it pay dividends in other ways, too.”
