Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM APRIL 20-26, 2022 UCW 13 e Spring Lake Police Depart- ment will host the annual Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run April 23 at 9:00 a.m. at Vet- eran's Park. "We are known as the Guard- ians of the Flame and we support the athletes who have intellec- tual and physical disabilities in life," said Napolean McCormick, Evidence Sergeant and Special Olympics coordinator. "Everyone knows about the Olympics that occur every four years, but the Special Olympics summer games occur annually during the first week in June in Raleigh and the funds that we raise go toward the equipment, uniforms, and other resources they need to help host their games," he said. McCormick added that many of the police officers attend the summer games and the officers present the medals to the athletes at their games. e Spring Lake Police Depart- ment's fundraising goal is $10,000. "Yes, our goal is $10,000, but I will be happy if we get $7,000 so we can get our name on the back of the Special Olympics t-shirt," said McCormick. "If we get our name on the back of the shirt it shows that Spring Lake is heavily involved with Special Olympics." e run is approximately two and a half miles long. "e runner will start at the flag pole at the intersection of Main Street and Ruth Street," said McCormick. "en they will continue up Main Street through town; circle the roundabout on the bridge; go across the bridge; turn left and run towards Lillian Black Elementary School; make a right on the street at the stop sign and run around the back of the school and come back to the flag pole." He added, "If you are walk- ing you will round the bridge and turn around and come back to the flag pole." e Special Olympics is a world- wide movement that was founded in the 1950s by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of former Presi- dent John F. Kennedy. She ob- served that individuals with intel- lectual and physical abilities were treated unfairly so she decided to take action. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her efforts. e Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics North Carolina began in 1987 and raises more than 1.3 million for Special Olympics North Carolina each year and serves nearly 40,000 athletes. "We are asking for donations or to purchase a Special Olympics t- shirt or beach towel for $20," said McCormick. "If you would like to get your name on the Special Olympics t- shirt, you can do this by becoming a corporate sponsor." "It is not a race, it is a symbolic thing showing the community that we are supporting Special Olympics and these athletes," said McCormick. "We are asking ev- eryone to come out and support this worthy cause." Join the Spring Lake Police Department as a "Torch Run Warrior." Runners will receive a certificate of participation. Sponsorship information is available at www.sonc.net. ere is no entry fee. Registra- tion starts at 8:15 a.m. on the day of the run. For more information call 910- 237-9470. e Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce is hold- ing an expo and a luncheon with a question-and-answer session for military spouses on April 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. e event will take place at the Rudolph Jones Student Center at Fayetteville State University. "e lunch and the expo is free to military spouses; male or female, veterans, members of the Gold Star community, anybody who is or has been married to someone in the military is welcome to come to this event for free," said Claudia Black, events coordinator and sales specialist for the Chamber. "We are really trying to cater to the military spouses." Bronwen Pence, the wife of Fort Bragg Garrison com- mander Col. Scott Pence, will be moderating a question- and-answer session during the luncheon. "We will have a panel of four ladies from throughout differ- ent branches of the military. e panel will be giving spouses some insight on what military life is like, anything they feel might be helpful to the spous- es," Black said. e panel will include U.S. Army Special Operation Com- mand-wife Kimberly Weimer and Garrison-wife Nikki Loehr. e panel will also have a newer military spouse so that the question-and-answer ses- sion can be diverse, Black said. Paul Mitchell will be provid- ing makeovers throughout the day for the spouses, and Five West Media will be on hand to create headshots for the attendees. Spouses can receive professional headshots digitally. Breakout sessions will occur during the morning, the first be- ing a mental wellness session. It will include office yoga and a discussion with a mental well- ness doctor talking about stress and how to cope with spouses deploying. e second breakout room of the day will be geared toward extreme couponing, a subject Black said was very well re- ceived during the last military spouse event. An expo will also be available throughout the day. irty-eight vendor booths will be set up in the halls of FSU, and spouses are more than welcome to come and go. If spouses can't attend the whole event, they can still come to the expo. Guests walking through the expo will be able to get free gifts and talk to the vendors. ose who come to the luncheon will also receive a swag bag. "We have a lot of great swag bags to give out," Black said. "We still have room for more table sponsors. A business can sponsor a table. ey get one seat at the table, and then we put seven military spouses with them, so they get some one-on- one time with the spouses. e business can decorate the table with signage," Black said. "We really want these seats to be filled with military spouses. at's the whole goal of this, for them to have a fun day and be pampered and hopefully learn some stuff." e expo and luncheon are free to military spouses, but Black said guests should regis- ter before the event. To register, visit www.faybiz.com. EVENTS Fayetteville Chamber to sponsor military spouse luncheon by ALYSON HANSEN ALYSON HANSEN, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200. DR. SHANESSA FENNER, Principal, WT Brown Elementary School. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Spring Lake PD hosts annual Torch Run for Special Olympics by DR. SHANESSA FENNER