Rutherford Weekly

Page 2 - Rutherford Weekly 828-248-1408 www.rutherfordweekly.com Thursday, April 20-April 26, 2023 For Independent Living At It's Best, For Independent Living At It's Best, come to the The Villas at Henderson Care. come to the The Villas at Henderson Care. •Spacious 2 bedroom •2 bath apartments •All electric kitchen •One car garage •Weekly housekeeping •Utilities included •Meal packages available •Emergency response system Rent includes: 125 Henderson Circle , Forest City 828-248-3800 SHELBY CITY PARK • 850 W. Sumter Street • Shelby • NC THRILL RIDES! KIDDIE RIDES! FUN GAMES, INFLATABLES, and MORE! Also, the ever popular City Park Carrousel and Rotary Train! All Amusement Rides & Entertainment Included! www.cityofshelby.com/parks * 704-484-6821 Saturday 1:00pm 3:00pm 5:00pm 7:00pm Sunday 2:00pm 4:00pm 6:00pm Saturday 2:00pm 4:00pm 6:00pm Sunday 3:00pm 5:00pm TWO BIG TWO BIG DAYS! DAYS! APRIL APRIL 2023 2023 29 29 TH TH 30 30 th th FESTIVAL FOOTHILLS Saturday, April 29th 11am - 8pm Sunday, April 30th 1pm - 8pm Captain Jim is Magic Captain Jim is Magic Sky High Skyler performing at the end of the last show each day! Circus Stella Circus Stella SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT AND CHARACTERS!! SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT AND CHARACTERS!! Saturday, April 29 th Academy of Performing Arts in the City Park Gymnasium: 10:30am until 3pm Spiderman, Captain America, Anna & Elsa: 12pm-3pm Batman, Wonder Woman, Cinderella, and Rapunzel: 3pm-6pm Balloon Lady Sunday, April 30 th Spiderman, Captain America, Anna & Elsa: 1pm-5pm Balloon Lady ARMBANDS $ 10 Per Day Per Person AWESOME CARNIVAL FOOD & PRODUCT VENDORS! FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! Rides & Entertainment Subject to Change NO Fireworks Show A young man from Rwanda will share his experience as a Samaritan's Purse Christmas Child Shoebox recipient next Wednesday, April 26, at Florence Baptist Church. Everyone is invited to come hear Alex share his story. "A small candy cane brought a big smile to my face when I received a shoebox gift in an orphanage following the Rwandan genocide," Alex said in promotional materials for the Christmas Child Shoebox. Alex writes: Imagine the excitement of 250 children in an orphanage who had never before received a gift, each holding shoeboxes from Operation Christmas Child. We were so curious. What was inside these boxes? Finally, there was a countdown and we opened the lid and looked inside. Kids began screaming left and right, not because they were sad but because of their joy to receive a gift for the very fi rst time." As I opened my shoebox I saw school supplies, hygiene items such as toothpaste and a toothbrush, socks, underwear, and a watercolor paint set. Some of these items were foreign to me. I looked at the paintbrush— I didn't know what it was. I looked at the paint— it was colorful but I didn't know what it was either. I looked at Smarties and wondered what they were. I thought they were medicine. Everything was new! Nearly all of my senses were being used. I was feeling, touching, smelling to fi gure out what it was. One of my favorite items was discovered using my other sense— my sense of taste. I had no idea what it was when I ate this item with the plastic still on it. It was sweet. It was very pepperminty. It tasted like something I didn't expect. That was my fi rst time eating a candy cane. A hair comb was the item that I kept the longest. This wasn't a typical comb. When you opened it on one side there was a pick and by opening the other side with a twist, a brush would come out. I took this comb with me everywhere I went for the next three years. Every item in that shoebox brought me joy at a time when I had lost all hope. I didn't see how Jesus Christ was working at that time, but an eternal seed was planted in my heart in that moment. A year later, I realized the many things God did in my life to bring me where I was." Alex talked about his mother dying of AIDS when he was a young boy. During the Rwandan genocide his grandmother and uncle were killed in front of him. He said a bullet missed his head by an inch. Alex said he and those with him walked for miles and miles, sleeping in the bushes, the dirt, and abandoned buildings. In the end I was put in an orphanage. "That box gave me joy when there was nothing left. Something as small as a candy cane put a smile on my face even when I didn't know what it was. God used that moment to give me a glimpse of greater joy that is in Him," Alex continued. "At that moment as a 7-year-old, I needed to be reminded that someone loved me, someone still cared," Alex wrote. Samaritan's Shoebox recipient will share his story at Florence April 26 Article Provided By: Jean Gordon. Photo Contributed. Samaritan's Purse Christmas Child Shoebox recipient, Alex "Lighting the Way", is the 2023 class project for Leadership Rutherford. The class decided to sponsor a mental health awareness luminary event on Saturday, May 4 from 4-9pm at the Pavilion on Park Square (POPS) in downtown Forest City at the Thermal Belt Rail Trail. The public is encouraged to participate by buying a luminary and attending the afternoon event. Each luminary is $10 each with all the proceeds going to Rutherford County's mental health programs (specifi c organization has not been determined) to offer counseling, awareness, education and other specifi c needs of those with mental health issues. Reagan Johnson, a member of the Leadership Rutherford class, said class members have interviewed and talked with several organizations and programs who offer mental health assistance and will decide on a particular group or more. "My time in Leadership Rutherford has not only shown me some of the challenges our community faces, but what can happen when we all come together," Reagan said on her Facebook post. "Mental health is a topic close to my heart, and I'm so excited that we will be donating all proceeds from this event to a mental health-focused organization." "We are super excited to host this event at the same time that North Carolina is celebrating the 2023 Year of the Trail," she said. Luminaries will be placed along the POPS trailhead and beyond. "After learning about the successes and issues our county faces, mental health is where the hearts of this year's cohort landed for their project," Johnson said. "Mental health impacts everyone at some point in their life. Whether you experience struggles or have someone you love battling mental illness, it can be detrimental. Leadership Rutherford wants to Light the Way to mental health resources and make a difference," she said. Luminaries can be purchased in honor, memory or in celebration of a loved one and friend. Businesses and groups are also asked to donate toward the Lighting the Way event. For more information and to purchase a luminary call 828-245-0365 and talk with Arianna Edwards, at the Town of Forest City. Luminary event will focus on mental health awareness Article Provided By: Jean Gordon

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