From chili to the Secretary of State, January in Onslow finishes strong with community events
The last week of January in Onslow County brought the community together in more ways than one, from chili cook-offs to a presentation from the NC Secretary of State.
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, local business owners and advocates were invited to hear a presentation from NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall about Rural Rise NC, a program designed to provide resources to innovators, start-ups and entrepreneurs, according to a recent news release from Coastal Carolina Community College.
The event brought together leaders from several local chambers of commerce, business advisors from the Small Business Center, elected officials and a diverse mix of local business owners for an hour-long discussion, the release explained.
During the presentation, Secretary Marshall explained Rural RISE NC as an initiative designed to connect North Carolinians interested in entrepreneurship with mentors, business counselors, funding sources and tools such as their new business checklist.
After the presentation, the release said those in attendance were invited to participate in a small business roundtable where everyone was encouraged to openly discuss both opportunities and challenges facing small business owners in Onslow County.
“It was both exciting and an honor to have Secretary Marshall come to Onslow County and meet with our local business community," said Coastal Carolina Community College Director of the Small Business Center April Priester. "Anytime we can get business owners and business advocates together with elected officials for a robust discussion, our business community gets stronger. Onslow County is blessed to have so many focused, determined and resilient business owners. These individuals inspire me daily and I could tell they inspired the Secretary too.”
The release said the Small Business Center at Coastal Carolina Community College supports entrepreneurs at all stages of the entrepreneurial journey. The center provides free, confidential, one-on-one small business counseling, training, resource and referral services.
To learn more about the Small Business Center, visit www.coastalcarolina.edu, or call 910-938-6322.
This past weekend, another community event also brought the people of Onslow County together.
On Saturday, twenty-one teams competed in the New River Harley Davidson 16th Annual Chili Cook-Off benefitting Semper Fi & America's Fund, according to a news release from the organization.
The Fund was founded in 2004 by Marine spouses and cares for the nation’s critically wounded, ill and injured service members and military families, the release explained. Supporting all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Fund provides one-on-one case management, connection and lifetime support.
"Today. Tomorrow. Together," the release read. "The Fund is proud to maintain a low overhead of 7% since inception, supporting a total of 29,000 service members with 11,000 supported in 2022."
The release said a check was presented to representatives Madeline Manzanet and Carey Hawkins and the Fund thanks New River Harley Davidson for their continued support and great annual event.
Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@jdnews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daily News: From chili to the Secretary of State, January in Onslow finishes strong with community events
