Local briefs: Mr. WHHS Party in the USA Pageant to benefit local families
West's Mr. WHHS Party in the USA Pageant to benefit local families
The West Henderson High School DECA Chapter will host its inaugural all-male Mr. WHHS “Party In The USA” pageant at 7 p.m. May 6 at West's auditorium to raise money for families within the Henderson County Public School community that have suffered losses or are dealing with major medical issues.
According to a news release, each contestant is a student at West Henderson High School and has committed to raising at least $100 each. Families were nominated by Henderson County Public School System employees and voted on by the members of the West DECA Chapter.
Awards to be given include Family’s Choice, Mr. Money Maker, Mr. Sexy Legs, People’s Choice, Mr. Congeniality and Mr. WHHS.
Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased online by visiting the West Henderson High School website and at the door at 6 p.m. May 6. Auditorium doors will open at 6:15 p.m.
All proceeds support the Aidan Burnette/Levi and Sydney Bailey families.
Aidan Burnette, an eighth-grader at Flat Rock Middle School, is the son of Lanta and Joseph Levi and the brother ofShane Townsend, Cash Levi and Hunter Levi. Shane and Cash both attend Atkinson Elementary School. On Feb. 14, Aidan Burnette was checking the mail after getting off the school bus and was hit by a car. He was life-flighted toMission Hospital and upon arrival the family was told they had to remove part of Aidan’s skull.
He has endured multiple surgeries and is still fighting for his life, the family said. The financial struggle has been extremely difficult, as the family is now down to one income to take time off to be with him.
Sydney Bailey is the wife of Jeff Thompson and mother to 9-year-old Hayes. Sydney Bailey has taught theater for 10years at North Henderson High School. In 2016, she was diagnosed with an anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare type of brain tumor. She received surgery soon after diagnosis, and doctors were able to remove some of the tumor. But a large part of it could not be removed because of its location.
She completed radiation and a six month course of chemotherapy after the surgery. This course of chemotherapy worked well, and she enjoyed about four years during which the tumor did not grow. At the end of 2022, a new tumor was found in a different location. She received a new kind of chemotherapy during this time, but during this course of chemotherapy, the first tumor became very aggressive and grew 5 cm in four weeks, HCPS said.
Chemotherapy was discontinued, and she was put on a heavy dose of steroids, also beginning to take a medicine that restricts the growth of new blood vessels. Bailey said she misses her students and teaching position dearly and sends her love and her gratitude for all of the support.
The judges consist of faculty and staff members at WHHS: April Bryson, Jackie Corn, Matthew Parent and Jessica Stepp. With the help of numerous local businesses and personal donations, the goal is to raise at least $6,000. Anyone who would like to donate a gift card or a gift basket to be included in the raffle or give a monetary donation can contact Alison Garrett at agarrett@hcspnc.org. All checks should be made payable to West Henderson High School.
Arbor Day celebration set for May 12 in Hendersonville
Hendersonville’s Arbor Day celebration and planting will begin at noon on May 12 at Tom’s Park, located at the corner of Lily Pond Lane and West Allen Street and will be highlighted by a tree being planted behind the shuffleboard court.
The public is invited to attend the hour-long ceremony, along with the Mayor of Hendersonville, North Carolina Forest Service personnel, Four Seasons Rotary Club members, Hendersonville Tree Board members and others.
At the event, a North Carolina Forest Service Ranger will present awards from the Arbor Day Foundation to the City as part of the Tree City USA program. Volk will officially proclaim May 12 as Tree City Day in Hendersonville.
The event is hosted by Four Seasons Rotary Club, which has sponsored Arbor Day events in Hendersonville since the first one was held in 1991.
Crossnore, Thrive host free viewing of film
Local nonprofit organizations Crossnore Communities for Children and Thrive, in partnership with organizations in the HART Collaborative, are inviting members of the community to attend a free viewing of the film Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope at 5:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church. This event is sponsored by Thrive and both dinner and childcare will be provided for free.
According to a news release, the film addresses research that says abuse and neglect during childhood, otherwise referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), can cause toxic stress which triggers hormones that wreak havoc on the brains and bodies of children, putting them at greater risk for disease, homelessness, prison time, and early death. The film also talks about a movement that is determined to fight back and help heal those who have experienced toxic stress. Attendees will participate in a Q&A session with local partners following the film viewing, and all will have the chance to learn how to work with other community members to take steps toward healing.
The event is free, but community members should register in advance at bit.ly/40cWX9W to ensure that food and childcare are available.
Oklawaha Greenway bird walks scheduled
Spring migration bird walks on the Oklawaha Greenway are scheduled from 8-10 a.m. May 6 (beginner walk) and 8-10 a.m. May 10 (intermediate walk).
Cathy Ford, an experienced local birder will take walkers on the walks and discuss birds currently migrating through Henderson County, as well as those that live on the Greenway year-round.
“The Greenway is a great place for birding, especially during May’s spring migration," Ford said in a news release.
Participants are asked to bring binoculars and meet in Patton Park at the Round Pavilion beyond the basketball court. A $10 fee will be collected at the beginning of the walk for bird trail improvements. Both walks are sponsored by the Friends of the Ocklawaha Greenway. Neither walk is suitable for dogs or strollers.
Letter carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive set for May 13
May 13 marks the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
According to a news release, letter carriers across Henderson County will collect non-perishable food donations from households along their Saturday routes. With the support of community volunteers and United Way of Henderson County, these donations will be distributed to three local food pantries – Interfaith Assistance Ministry, The Salvation Army and The Storehouse – to provide food to Henderson County residents in need.
Postal customers are asked to leave a box or bag of food by their mailboxes on May 13 for carriers to collect. Suggested items include canned soups, meats, fish, vegetables, fruits and juices; or boxed goods like cereal, rice and pasta. In 2022, Henderson County mail carriers collected nearly 30,000 pounds of food that were immediately placed in pantries for neighbors in need.
First United Methodist Church's Green Jubilee set for May 19
First United Methodist Church located at 204 Sixth Avenue West will be hosting its Green Jubilee from 10 a.m.-noon, as the church celebrates its green initiative for 2023.
The celebration included the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the church's solar panels, a planting project in the church's community garden, a Girl Scouts' recycling project, food served from the church's nonprofit food trailer and games and entertainment.
The event is organized by the church's weekday school and marks the end of the school year. It emphasizes the church's commitment to being an environmentally conscious and sustainable church, the news release said.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Local briefs: Mr. WHHS Party in the USA Pageant to benefit local families
