14 UCW APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022, 2022
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
Holly Whitley may not have set out to be
a legend in Fayetteville when she bought
a bar and named it Legend's Pub, but
she certainly has become one. Her giving
nature and willingness to help friends is
well-known in Fayetteville and among the
readers of the Up & Coming Weekly.
Whitley bought Legend's in 1996 with
several years of bar management under
her belt. She took her father's advice that
she was not just buying a building; she was
buying good faith that people would come
through the doors. She has built its reputa-
tion as a place where everyone is welcome,
and it is more than just a bar to its regulars
— it is a home away from home.
You may not find Whitley behind the bar
anymore, but her passion for her busi-
ness can be felt throughout the pub. She
honors people they have lost over the years
with a memorial wall of pictures of family
and friends. She also recognizes the many
active-duty military and veterans in the area
by proudly flying a U.S. flag outside and
displaying a huge wooden American flag
inside the bar, complete with painted stars
and stripes.
"e customers will say 'hi' as soon as
you walk up on the deck," she said. "It's a
very welcoming atmosphere.."
Her good faith in the Fayetteville commu-
nity has paid off, not only for her business
but for the people she has helped over the
years with her annual Spring Fling fund-
raiser. e event started in the 1980s when
Whitley and a group of good friends who
called themselves the Gypsy Women had
get-togethers in her home.
"When I bought the bar, we decided to
have Spring Fling (there)," said Whitley. "A
friend of ours had gotten in a motorcycle
accident, so we just said (let's) do it as a
benefit."
Spring Fling has grown from a small pri-
vate event to a community benefit that has
helped hundreds of people and organiza-
tions in Cumberland County over the last 26
years and raised an estimated half a million
dollars.
In the early days, she was surprised by the
amount the community chipped in each
year. As the event became more popular,
the amount they raised doubled and then
tripled annually. She credits its success to
Spring Fling at the little dive
bar with big heart
by CINDY WHITT
EVENT
