Up & Coming Weekly

Fun Abounds at the Fort Bragg Fair by STEPHANIE CRIDER With spring in the air and the warm days of summer fast approaching, Ft. Bragg is opening its gates once again so that the public can come out and enjoy the Ft. Bragg Fair. The fun begins at 5 p.m., April 29 with all the fun rides and entertainment that make this such a popular annual event. Look for the fabulous snacks and food that make the fair such a special place, but according to Rhett Stroupe, special events coordinator at Ft. Bragg Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), there is one ride that has thrilled area youngsters over and over again for the past 25 years. “The most popular thing that the fair go-ers can get — that they can only get at the Ft. Bragg Fair — is the kiddie jump tower,” said Stroupe. It is a 20 ft jump tower with a zip line. Folks go up the tower, are fitted with a harness, at- tached to a trolley. “We have 30 carnival rides on the grounds, and of course all of the midway games and food. And guess which is the most popular attraction? The kiddie jump tower, by virtue of the fact that this is the only place that they can do that and experience that is here at Ft. Bragg.” The entertainment schedule is packed with a variety of bands that cover the country, latin, rock-n-roll, gospel, reggae, Top 40 genres and more. The schedule is rigorous and fast-paced and includes two to three shows each day, usually in the evenings, except on Sundays which include an afternoon show. “I can tell you that we have a repeat performance from last year by The Fifth. They are very popular and have a large local draw — a lot of folks follow them,” said Stroupe. “We have a military community here so we are a very diverse com- munity and we try to have diverse entertainment. On Friday, May 7, we have a new group coming called Oak Crest. They are a reggae rock group and are com- prised of soldiers here at Bragg — because they are soldiers we wanted to give them a shot.” May 8 is Star Wars Day and will feature Star Wars characters in costumes. Last year was the first year that this was incorporated into the fair and it was quite popular according to Stroupe. There will be photo ops and hand shaking galore whether you are looking for a jedi knight or a storm trooper. A new event has been added this year called Sea Lion Splash. Not only will there be performances and entertainment, but the audience will learn a few things too. The fun will last Ft. Bragg and Fayetteville residents look forward to the Ft. Bragg Fair every year. through May 16. Gates open at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There are plenty of good deals to be had on ticket prices with customer appreciation specials running Monday through Thursday which includes $5 ad- mission for those On Mother’s Day, which is May 9, moms get in for $7 when ac- companied by a pay- ing child between the ages of three and 17. Otherwise, Monday through Thursday general admission is $12 after 7 p.m., military/DOD civilians and children 3-9 are $10 and senior citizen non-riders and handicapped non-riders are $7. Friday through Sunday general admission is $17, Military and DoD civilians and children 3-9 $15, handicapped non-riders and senior citizen non-riders cost $7. Parking is free. Find out more about this safe, fun, family friendly event at fortbraggmwr.com or by calling 396-9126. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 editor@upandcomingweekly.com Raising Funds to Save a Life by STEPHANIE CRIDER Every community has them, the citizens who volunteer their time, ideas and energy for the bet- terment of their town. They serve on boards, spend hours organizing, planning and executing events that benefit their fellow citizens and it is not for the money or for the glory but because they really believe in their neighbors, they believe in their community and what it is trying to accomplish. Steve Culbreth can’t say enough good things about his brother Kelvin and all that Kelvin has done for Fayetteville over the years. “Did you know that Kelvin used to write for Up & Coming Weekly some? He used to do some free- lance writing,” said Culbreth. “Kelvin has spent the last 20 years of his life volunteering for the commu- nity — he’s been on the Dogwood Festival commit- tee and many other activities in Fayetteville, like the Fayetteville After Five concerts, Dickens Holiday and all that stuff. I’ve been out there with him at midnight and 1 a.m. picking up trash in Festival Park when he has volunteered. He just really cares about his community and has donated his time and service for years.” Currently, Culbreth serves the community at the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County as the director of special events and facilities manage- ment, in addition to all of his volunteer activities. Now, the Culbreth family and the Ammon Ruritan Club are coming together to covers the operation itself, Culbreth still faces living expenses for a few months while he is recovering and unable to work, as well as some pretty stiff prescrip- tion costs. “The transplants anti-rejection meds that he’ll have to take for the rest of his life — the first year it will be $1600 a month for his co-pay,” said Steve “And then it will drop to $1200 a month for the rest of his life.” On Friday, April 30, stop by the Westwood Shopping Center and get yourself a bar-b-que plate. They’ll be there from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the money will help to defray the costs associated with Culbreth’s recovery. “It is really good food,” said Steve. “It is family secret recipes right down to the cole slaw. You could get a lunch plate or a dinner plate — or both.” As Kelvin makes the final preparations for his liver transplant all that is left to do is wait. “The doc says he has a real good chance of get- Friends and family are hoping to raise money to help long time Fayetteville resident Kelvin Culbreth. Culbreth has been a volunteer in many capacities over the past 20 years. ting a liver pretty quick,” said Steve. “The organs don’t keep that long. He’ll have the pager and when it goes off he’s got 6 hours to get to Charleston. We don’t know exactly when that will be, but he’s got the suitcase packed and by the door ready to go.” Now the goal for his family is to be able to give help Kelvin out. He’s had end-stage liver disease for the past seven years and is get- ting ready for a transplant operation. “He is not a drinker — never has been. It is just one of those things,” said Steve. “He’s had several bouts with health issues due to this liver thing. It has dam- aged the other organs in his body. He is really close to getting a transplant though.” If only the worries ended with the transplant, but they don’t. While insurance WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Kelvin some peace of mind in knowing that at least a small portion of his expenses will be covered when he comes back home so that he can focus on resting and healing. For more information or to make a donation call 818-6585 or 309-1595. . STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 editor@upandcomingweekly.com APRIL 21-27, 2010 UCW 19

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