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.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/944388
12 UCW FEBRUARY 21-27, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM American Warrior 5K combats hunger in Fayetteville and Cumberland County by SHANE WILSON Ladies Shop 'til You Drop Expo celebrates women by STEPHANIE CRIDER EVENTS On March 3, the streets around and near Festival Park in downtown Fayetteville will be transformed into a USA Track and Field certified race route for the Second Annual American Warrior 5K Walk and Run, sponsored by His Out- reach Worldwide. All proceeds from the race will benefit His Bread of Life Food Bank of Fayetteville. According to HOW's website, His Bread of Life is a "Christian food bank ministry, working with area churches to help feed children and families in need." e food bank is used to support the food ministries of local churches. His Bread of Life also works closely with the Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humani- ty to "stock the pantries of the homes they build." e organization uses the annual 5K to keep the food bank operating so that it can continue to benefit the Fayetteville and Cumberland County area. According to Lynne O'Quinn, president of HOW, people of all fitness levels are encouraged to at- tend the 5K. Pre-registration costs $25 and day-of registration costs $30. Military personnel will pay a $20 registration fee. Participants must also sign a waiver when they register. In addition to every registrant receiving an offi- cial race T-shirt, the top three finishers in a variety of age categories will receive awards as well as the top three finishers overall. O'Quinn emphasized that the event is family- friendly. ere will be a bouncy house for chil- dren, a DJ playing upbeat music, and Baldinos Giant Jersey Subs will be on hand serving up post-race nutrition. "We also want to encour- age families with little ones to bring their strollers," O'Quinn said. Additionally, in keeping with the American Warrior theme, race organizers encourage par- ticipants to wear red, white and blue to the event. For more information on the work of HOW or His Bread of Life Food Bank, visit w w w. HisOutreachWorldwide.org. For specific ques- tions concerning registration or donations, contact O'Quinn at 910-476-7975 or Heather Hartley at 910-8743676. O'Quinn and Hart- ley can also be reached by email at Lynne@ HisOutreachWorldwide.org and HeatherH@ ompsonLittle.com, respectively. e American Warrior 5K Walk and Run is scheduled for March 3 at Festival Park in down- town Fayetteville. Participants can pre-register online at w w w.RuneEast.com/races. On the morning of the race, registration will begin at 8 a.m. e race begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. e second annual Ladies Shop 'til You Drop Expo is set for Feb. 24-25 at the Crown Expo Center. It's planned to be a day of shopping and en- tertainment with vendors, onstage entertainment, door prizes, food and more. Business owners and event organizers Donna Meixsell and Marie Rudolph are both active in the community and are interested in seeing women succeed in business and life. "at is why we got involved in this," said Rudolph. "We want to give back to women. ey need to be recognized for their strength. A lot of our vendors at Ladies Shop 'til You Drop Expo are women-owned businesses, including direct mar- keting businesses – they don't often get to show their wares." "Marie and I are very active in the community, and we are at a point where we want to give back," said Meixsell. "Fayetteville doesn't really have a lot of these types of events. We thought it would be a good idea. It is a fun day and a way for women to get out and have a good time with their friends." With 80 or so vendors scheduled to partici- pate, Meixsell and Rudolph promise a variety of shopping and entertainment options, including wine-tasting, home interior design, yoga, cutlery, handmade artisanal products, a tattoo booth and a photo booth. Some of the informational and resource booths include Pathway to Veterans, Carolina Heart and Leg, Miss North Carolina and St. Jude Children's Hospital. e entertainment stage will feature a variety of local talent throughout the weekend as well as fashion shows and a visit from local pageant queens. e entertainment schedule is available at w w w.ladiesshoptilyoudrop.com. "A doctor from the Carolina Heart and Leg Cen- ter will speak about women's heart health," said Rudolph. "February is Heart Health Month, and heart disease and stroke cause one in three deaths for women. It's important for women to educate and take care of themselves." Event sponsors Baker Motorsports and Cadillac of Fayetteville will be on-site as well. Proceeds from the event benefit St. Jude Chil- dren's Hospital. "We want to give back to the com- munity," Meixsell said. "Last year, we supported literacy, but we see so many kids with cancer these days. We just want to be able to give back. We would like to give a generous donation." One dollar from each ticket sold will be donated to St. Jude's. St. Jude's mission is to "advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. … No child is de- nied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay." e first 100 entrants will receive swag bags filled with things like jewelry, gift cards and more. VIP tickets are available and include VIP seating at the entertainment stage and VIP swag bags. e event runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 24 and noon to 6 p.m. Feb. 25. e first 100 guests will receive a swag bag filled with items donated by vendors. Tickets cost $8 and are available at Capefeartix.com, ladiesshoptilyoudrop.com or at the door during the event. Call 910-483-0970 to learn more. All proceeds from the race will benefit His Bread of Life Food Bank of Fayetteville. SHANE WILSON, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com 910-484-6200. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Associate Publisher. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Business owners and event organizers Marie Rudolph (left) and Donna Meixsell (right) created an event that celebrates and spotlights women-owned businesses.