Bras for a Cause: A seriously uplifting fundraiser

Help support Breast Cancer Services in the High Country! Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center invites local businesses, and community organizations to design and create a themed bra that celebrates the stories of the survivors and the spirit of those working to promote breast health!

• September 16: Registration form due
• September 30: Completed bra creation due
• November 4: Deadline to pick up your bra

Local businesses and community organizations will have their creations displayed at Together We Fight events.

• Doc’s Rocks Mining for a Purpose
• Kilograms for Mammograms Crossfit Competition
• High Country Breast Cancer Foundation Walk/Run
• Patients Night Out at Chetola

Submission Guidelines

• All entries are to be created on a new 38C back-closure, underwire bra. The front, back and sides should be completely decorated. Strapless bras cannot be accepted. Please do not sew the bra closed.
• The inside does not need to be decorated.
• Bras should be well constructed, as they will be moved and mounted in various locations. Appliques and other applied objects should be firmly attached. Sewing is preferable, but strong glues and other mechanical fastening methods are acceptable. Tape is not acceptable.
• Bras are to be constructed of materials that are not soiled, perishable, or in any way inherently dangerous or offensive. Please do not use food or food products.
• Bras must be constructed in a manner that allows for mounting or transfer to a display mannequin/hanger. No backing panels or plaques.
• Each entry must include a registration form, name tag with the designer’s name/business and bra name. Bra entries may include a short paragraph of 500 characters or less describing the inspiration for the piece.

Judging

• If the bra fails to meet submission rules and guidelines or is offensive and/or disrespectful, we reserve the right to remove the bra from display and judging.
• All bras that meet submission guidelines will be posted on Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s Facebook page. The bra that gets the most “likes” will be the winner. Be sure to share your creation with friends, family, and patrons.

Submitting your entry

• Please drop off (and pick up) your creation with Angie Del Nero, Social Worker at Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center by September 30th. Feel free to display your creation at your business or organization until Sept. 30th to help raise awareness.

Howard E. Covington Jr.’s new book brings to life ‘The People and Hospitals that Became Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’

For generations the mountainous region of Western North Carolina was referred to as the Lost Province. Due to The Great Depression, World War I and the natural geographic barriers that prevented the development of connecting roads and infrastructure, lowlanders in the state often joked that the only way to reach the mountains of North Carolina was to be born in them.

But being born safely in the High Country in the first half of the twentieth century was no joking matter. As author Howard E. Covington Jr. points out in his book “Caring for One Another,” through the efforts of selfless and dedicated individuals, access to quality healthcare in the landlocked High Country became a reality.

In 1897, Rev. Edgar Tufts’ mission field brought him to Avery County where he found a dire need for education and medical access. He recruited Dr. William C. Tate to Banner Elk and eventually Grace Hospital, which was built on the campus of Lees-McCrae Institute (now Lees-McCrae College) opened in 1924. Inspired by Tufts’ work, Drs. Eustace and Mary Sloop opened Garrett Memorial Hospital just 20 miles away in Crossnore five years later. Both Avery County hospitals received Duke Endowment funding and were bustling places as they served neighboring counties as well as their own.

In Boone, Blanford B. Dougherty cobbled together money and land from the State of North Carolina and a grant from The Duke Endowment to erect Watauga Hospital on the campus of the Appalachian State Teachers College (later Appalachian State University) in 1938. It was there that students could receive rudimentary nursing care, which was paid for by a $1.50 health fee collected at the beginning of the school year. The hospital also served as a place for local patients to deliver babies or to recuperate from illness. In place of payment, compensation for said services often consisted of a basket full of fresh produce or a ham.

During the 1930s and 40s, Dr. Mary Cabel Warfield was making house calls and maintaining a modest clinic in Blowing Rock for the year-round and seasonal residents. Building her practice on free, well-baby clinics, she was ahead of her time and educated her patients about preventive medicine and prenatal care. When her medical career ended due to an automobile accident in 1948, Dr. Charles Davant, Jr. stepped in as a replacement. Shortly after, the community rallied to gather the resources to build the 20-bed Blowing Rock Hospital, which opened in 1952.

In captivating detail, Covington goes on to reveal the innermost thoughts, dreams and struggles of the High Country’s most influential healthcare visionaries. Thanks to people like Isaac “Ike” Garfield Greer, Richard Sparks, Dougherty, Tufts, and countless others, patients no longer need to leave the mountain for their healthcare needs. These brave men and women laid the foundation for what is today the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

To receive a free copy of “Caring for One Another” by the award-winning North Carolina native and history author, Howard E. Covington Jr., visit the lobby at Watauga Medical Center, Cannon Memorial Hospital or send an email to marketing@apprhs.org.  

“Wish Upon a Cure” Tournament Benefits Cancer Patient Emergency Fund

A cloudy day on the Linville Land Harbor Golf Course seemed to energize the 27 foursomes who played in the “Wish Upon a Cure” annual cancer charity golf tournament. Co-sponsored by the 18 Hole and 9 Hole Ladies Golf Associations, this year’s tournament generated more than $18,000 in donations for the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation’s Avery County Cancer Patient Emergency Fund. These funds are used for cancer patients throughout Avery County who are facing cancer treatment and recovery.

Myra’s Catering donated a delicious luncheon enjoyed by more than 120 players and guests. Three large gift baskets were raffled off as well as over 25 smaller gift baskets with a very broad, sometimes surprising, selection of items! Area businesses supported this charity event by providing gift certificates, bottled water and monetary donations that added significantly to the total. We thank you!!!

Format for the tournament was a step-aside scramble using “magic puts” as an added feature in the contest. Tournament winners were: Flight A: Sheila Divvens, Pamela Patrick, Gary McCormick and Mercere Collins with a gross score of 54; Flight B: Anne Lynch, Randy Lynch, Kellie Pearson and John Pearson with a gross score of 53; Flight C: Sondra Schimmoller, Jack Hannon, Randy King and Victor Grassman with a gross score of 59; and in Flight D, Sherry Steber, Ron Steber, Kathleen Reed and Michael Reed won with a gross score of 65. Closest to the pin for ladies on hole #7 was Julie Flowers (3 feet 2 inches) and for the men on hole #3, Roger Ciske (5 feet 10 inches).

The outstanding success of the “Wish Upon A Cure” cancer charity tournament depends on the many volunteers who give of their time, creativity, generosity, hard work and attention to detail. Special thanks go out to Michael Hayes, Golf Operations Manager and Dexter Bentley, Golf Course Manager, Along with their respective “crews”, the golf course was in excellent condition. Volunteers from the 18 Hole and 9 Hole Men’s Golf Associations, and a long list of other volunteers too numerous to list, ensured that the Tournament achieved its important goal: to provide support and assistance to those receiving cancer treatment or those progressing through the often challenging stages of cancer recovery.

To learn more about Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation, call 828-262-4391 or visit apprhs.org/foundation/.