Garner Memorial Day Observance Adapts, Undaunted by COVID-19
Garner will have a Memorial Day observance this year and you can see it, even though there will be no traditional gathering of people at the Garner Veterans Memorial.
Garner will have a Memorial Day observance this year and you can see it, even though there will be no traditional gathering of people at the Garner Veterans Memorial.
Show N Tell Ministries, a local non-profit, has produced a 33-minute observance that will be televised on the community access channel and will be available on YouTube, Facebook and through social media. It will be shown at 11 a.m., and 7 p.m., on the access channel and occasionally in the days to come.
(Watch the video above or click here: https://youtu.be/kcabbl2M3WY)
The program features music, film clips from Show N Tell’s historical plays about Garner, and narration about the 66 community men who were killed while in the military service. U.S. Marines Col. Samuel Lee Meyer is the principle speaker. Jimmy Stevens is the narrator.
The video includes music by Steve Amerson, who is known as America’s tenor; Marty Long, The Hall Sisters and Rozlyn Sorrell.
The Garner Veterans Memorial serves as the nexus year-round for remembrance of its fallen soldiers.
“The video came together pretty quickly, in less than a week,” said Tim Stevens, the Show N Tell founder. “I wanted to have something to give to the community to help celebrate Memorial Day. There are some parts I’d like to change, but I think it will have an impact on people.”
Show N Tell also has placed 66 United States flags along the walking trail at Lake Benson Park. Most of the flags have dog tags with the name of one of the community men who were killed while in the military.
“The flags are just a reminder of why we have Memorial Day,” Stevens said. “We’ve been putting the flags up near the memorial on Memorial Day and July 4th for a few years, but moved them to the path last year.“
Garner’s Hall sisters.
Show N Tell also organizes the wreath laying ceremony and Gold Star tree at the Memorial in December and annually produces the Garner Veterans Memorial Salute to the Troops, usually in May.
This year, Salute to the Troops and the Memorial Day observance are rolled into the video event.
Show N Tell currently is producing a virtual July 3rd community celebration that will be shown on cable access and through social media.
Garner Magnet High School Senior Christina Williams Gives Back to Police Department
Instead of focusing on what could have been, Garner Magnet High School Senior Christina Williams chose a different path. Learn more about her story and how she gives back to our community in more ways than one.
Our heart goes out to high school seniors in our town and across the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many teens reassessing their future plans and wondering what comes next. We remember prom, graduation and moving on to college or a new career as an unchanging part of American life.
These milestones will look a little different for the class of 2020. Instead of focusing on what could have been, Garner Magnet High School Senior Christina Williams chose a different path.
Learn more about her story and how she gives back to our community in more ways than one.
Courtesy Town of Garner
Plans Dashed by Coronavirus, Garner Will Apply Again for The Wall That Heals
The Wall That Heals, a travelling ¾-scale replica of The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will not be coming to Garner’s Lake Benson Park in April. The Wall’s display here has been postponed because of the coronavirus.
“The visit hasn’t been cancelled; it has been postponed,” said Tim Stevens, who was spearheading the effort to display the wall here in honor of our community’s Vietnam veterans. “We hope to schedule The Wall to come in 2021 or 2022.”
The Wall That Heals, a travelling ¾-scale replica of The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will not be coming to Garner’s Lake Benson Park in April. The Wall’s display here has been postponed because of the coronavirus.
“The visit hasn’t been cancelled; it has been postponed,” said Tim Stevens, who was spearheading the effort to display the wall here in honor of our community’s Vietnam veterans. “We hope to schedule The Wall to come in 2021 or 2022.”
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund received more than 130 invitations from communities to host The Wall last year and Garner was among the 30 or so communities that were selected.
Stevens said the VVMF would begin accepting invitations for 2021 on May 25, 2020. The VVMF schedules a national tour with The Wall spending about a week at each of the selected sites. This year’s tour was to visit 20 different states.
“There is no guarantee that we’ll be selected again, but I’m optimistic,” Stevens said. “The VVMF has said it will work with us, and the other sites that had to postpone, to reschedule.”
Most of the donations that were made to bring The Wall to Garner are being saved to use when The Wall is brought here in the next couple of years.
“We had already spent some of our donations on advertising and other start up expenses, but every other dollar has been designated for The Wall in 2021 or 2022,” Stevens said.
The committee that worked on bringing The Wall here this year is expected to pick up preparations where it stopped this year.
“One of the best things we did was set our website, garnerwall.com,” Stevens said. “We have tons of information on the site and we are going to keep it active. We have pictures and stories of about 70 area men who went to Vietnam and other stories on the men from Wake County and Johnston County who were killed in the war.”
Ambassador Volunteers Needed for The Wall That Heals Visit to Garner
Volunteers are needed to be ambassadors at The Wall That Heals during its stay at Garner’s Lake Benson Park on April 16 through 19.
Volunteers are needed to be ambassadors at The Wall That Heals during its stay at Garner’s Lake Benson Park on April 16 through 19.
The ambassadors generally will have four-hour shifts during the day and longer shifts at night. The ambassadors will be trained to help guests find individual names on The Wall and to answer general questions about The Wall That Heals and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The training session for all volunteers at 6 p.m., on Wednesday, April 15.
Go to garnerwall.com to volunteer.
Ambassadors will be on hand at TWTH 24 hours a day from when The Wall opens at 12:01 a.m., on Thursday until The Wall closes at 2 p.m., on Sunday.
The Wall That Heals is a traveling ¾ scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. More than 130 communities throughout the United States applied to host The Wall That Heals in 2020 and Garner was among the 34 communities selected to host it.
Able-bodied volunteers also are needed to help assemble The Wall That Heals on Wednesday, April 15 and to disassemble The Wall on Sunday, April 19. The assembly will begin at 8:30 a.m., and usually takes about eight hours. Volunteer are expected to stay until The Wall is erected, regardless of the weather.
The Wall will be taken down beginning at 2 p.m., on Sunday. It usually takes about six hours to take down the wall and pack it in its truck.
Go to garnerwall.com to volunteer.
Bridge the Gap Mission and Carolina Cares hold Feb 9th Bake Sale to Raise Funds for Easter Event
Two non-profit organizations, Bridge the Gap Mission and Carolina Cares, are holding a joint bake sale at Five Below in the White Oak Shopping Center on Sunday February 9 from 12-4 to raise funds for their organizations.
Two non-profit organizations, Bridge the Gap Mission and Carolina Cares, are holding a joint bake sale at Five Below in the White Oak Shopping Center on Sunday February 9 from 12-4 to raise funds for their organizations.
The sale will primarily support the Easter event that helps provide Easter Baskets for families in need.
The community can support them by purchasing items at the bake sale, donating baked goods to be sold at the fundraiser, or bringing other items for donation such as non-perishable foods, diapers, wipes and hygiene items. The organizations are also in need of office supplies and office furniture.
More information can be obtained by contacting CarolinaCaresTeam@gmail.com and KelliBridgeTheGap@gmail.com.
“CAROLINA CARES” is a humanitarian effort serving our local communities with the most valuable resources available. Providing those in need with answers, available options, and direct connections when readily available.
Carolina Cares is a private outreach group designed to help Raleigh, North Carolina and the surrounding communities within and around Wake County. There are so many in need and so many that want to help. It is our hope to create a reliable and loving environment to both seek and give help.”
“Bridge the Gap Mission is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for low-income and disadvantaged residents of the southeast Raleigh area. While helping provide for immediate needs like clothing and household items, we also provide educational programs, activities and organized special events that aim to enhance community involvement with the goal of building pride and self-initiative. We participate with other advocates and networks to identify new resources and partnerships that will help us in achieving these goals.”
Optimist Club Recognized for Generations of Youth Basketball in Garner
The Town of Garner recognized the local Optimist Club with a proclamation at Tuesday night’s Town Council Meeting for their “years of service and commitment to youth basketball and their continued support of the Garner community.”
BY MARAGRET DAMGHANI
The Town of Garner recognized the local Optimist Club with a proclamation at Tuesday night’s Town Council Meeting for their “years of service and commitment to youth basketball and their continued support of the Garner community.”
The Optimist Club ran the youth basketball league for just over 50 years beginning in 1969. The league lives on through the Town of Garner’s Department of Parks and Recreation and Cultural Resources which became the steward of the program beginning this season.
“It certainly is decades of service...it’s been a wonderful program for many years,” said Council member Gra Singleton, noting that both he and his son played basketball in the program.
Rebecca Lakey, membership director of Garner Optimist Club, said she was struck by how special the program was when she first joined two years ago.
She remembers being touched at how appreciative the youth were of the program and how much time and effort it takes to run it.
Mayor Ken Marshburn presenting the proclamation to Bill Oates at the Youth Basketball Jamboree on January 4, 2020.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to all the Optimists, not only for the work in the league as we’ve said, but all the good work you do. Thank you for allowing me and my son to participate in the program many years ago. Well done,” Mayor Ken Marshburn said.
The Optimists plan to continue their support of youth athletics in Garner and are active in both baseball and softball leagues in the town.
“The Garner Optimist Club’s goal, in general, is to support youth,” Lakey said. “We need to find other things for us to help support.”
The community can support the Optimist Club’s programs and youth scholarships at the annual BBQ Fundraiser on February 7, 2020 at 11 a.m. More information can be found at www.garneroptimistclub.org.
Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration: A Garner Tradition of Unity
A Celebration Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sunday January 19, 2020 - 4:00pm - Garner Performing Arts Center
A Celebration Honoring the Life and Legacy of
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
4:00pm
Garner Performing Arts Center
742 West Garner Road
Sunday January 19th the Garner community will come together for its annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. This observance has become a Garner tradition that reflects the town’s character of inclusiveness, unity, and true community.
Master of Ceremonies
Mayor Ken Marshburn
Program
Invocation - Rev. Ben Acton, Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Garner
Greetings and Introduction of Officials - Honorable Ronnie Williams, Former Mayor of Garner
Greetings
Congressman David Price
Master Andrew Wade - Student Body President, Garner Magnet High School
Master Tashawn Rhodes - Student Body President, South Garner High School
The Dream: A Youth Perspective - Master Donovan Summers
Musical Selection - Creech Road Elementary School Chorus
A Tribute in Dance - The Gifted Arts, Inc.
“ I Have A Dream” - Mr. Dwight Rogers, Community Activists
2020 Dream In Action Award - Recipient Rev. Susan P. Hobbs presented by Mrs. Carlene Lucas
Garner’s Community Forum - Rev. Ben Acton, Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Garner
Introduction of Speaker - Dr. James Ferry
Selections - Psalmist Danyelle D. Sanders
Keynote Speaker - Rev. Byron Wade, Pastor Davie Street Presbyterian Church
Prayer for Peace, Justice, and Equality - Rev. Roy Clark, Assistant Pastor Poplar Springs Christian Church
Benediction - Rev. Dr. Byron Wade, Pastor Davie Street Presbyterian Church
Closing Selection - "“We Shall Overcome”
Photo: 1963. Robert W. Kelly/Time Life
Other MLK Jr. Day Events and Observances
Friday, January 17, 2020
40th Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony - 9:00am - Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Gardens, 1215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC. Sponsoring Partner: Raleigh Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance
A Day of Prayer and Reflection - We pause today to pray, reflect and thank God for the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Join us for corporate prayer wherever your are from 9am to 11am for our nation and our community as we face the realization of the urgency of now. Continue to pray and join us in our efforts as we continue on this journey to achieve a more Beloved Community that reflects the wholeness of humanity.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Garner Community Forum: Discovering "Common Ground" Across Racial, Political, and Economic Lines. 10:00am. First Presbyterian Church, 502 Lakeside Drive, Garner, NC 27529
40th Annual Triangle Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast - 7:15am to 9:00am. Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Research Triangle Park, NC. Doors open at 5:45am, breakfast served from 6am to 8am only. Keynote Speaker - Rev. Lisa Yebuah, Pastor Southeast Raleigh Table
40th Annual MLK Memorial March - 11:00am. Departs from State Capitol Building, Edenton Street Side, Downtown Raleigh. 10:00am March Assembly begins. Sponsoring Partners: United Way of the Greater Triangle and Red Hat.
40th Annual MLK Noon Observation 12:00pm. Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. Sponsoring Partners: United Way of the Greater Triangle and Red Hat.
40th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Evening Musical Celebration - 5:30pm. Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts – Meymandi Hall, 2 E South Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
Acknowledgements
Rev. Dr. Byron Wade
Master Andrew Wade
Master Tashawn Rhodes
Mr. David Fulghum
Garner Performing Arts Center
Ms. Danyelle Sanders
Master Donovan Summers
Photo: 1963. Robert W. Kelly/Time Life
Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Celebration Committee
Rev. Ben Acton
Mrs. Rose Baker
Ms. Michelle Collins
Mrs. Wilma Dunston (Secretary-Treasurer
Dr. James Ferry (Co-Chair)
Rev. Susan Hobbs
Mrs. Chalene Lucas
Mayor Ken Marshburn
Mrs. Helen Phillips
Mr. Dwight Rogers (Co-Chair)
Rev. Elmo Vance (Councilman)
Honorable Ronnie Williams
“We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Garner’s Heroes Remembered and Honored
Garner’s hometown heroes were remembered and honored on Saturday, Dec. 21 as the community gathered at Lake Benson Park for the Garner Veterans Memorial Wreath Laying and Gold Star Tree Ceremony.
Garner’s hometown heroes were remembered and honored on Saturday, Dec. 21 as the community gathered at Lake Benson Park for the Garner Veterans Memorial Wreath Laying and Gold Star Tree Ceremony.
Each branch of the U.S. military was represented as warriors, past and present, entered the memorial carrying a wreath to celebrate sacrifices, past and present.
“We do not decorate this memorial with wreaths. These wreaths are symbolic of our remembrance of the courage and devotion to duty of those who are celebrated here,” said U.S. Army Major General Charles Scott (retired).
The military escort followed the Town of Garner honor guard and bagpiper Jeffrey Hammerstein, the assistant chief of the Wake County EMS. Hammerstein’s haunting notes set a somber, but uplifting atmosphere.
The Garner Veterans Memorial is an interactive monument. The names, ranks and service are recorded of each of the 66 community men who died while in military service. Their sacrifice is listed by their wars, ranging from the Civil War to the War on Terror.
The five wreaths, provided by the Garner Optimist club, were placed in front of panels explaining military action in each decade, beginning with the Revolutionary War. The wreaths were later moved to the large panels.
The families of the 66 men listed on the memorial also had an engraved gold star placed in their honor on the Gold Star Tree. Gold stars also were placed on the tree in honor of the families of the 19 men who perished in our community while on their military mission.
“The gold stars are a way of honoring the families of the men and women who die in war,” Scott said.
The military escort placed an ornament on the tree in honor of the grieving families and the gold star families who were present had the opportunity to place stars in honor of their loved ones. About a dozen additional stars were added.
“It was much more moving that I had imagined,” said Erik Shepard, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and in the U.S. Army, including tours in Iraq and in Afghanistan. “This event shows that we haven’t forgotten the sacrifices that have been made for us.”
Recently retired U.S. Marine Corps Captain Trey Grissom, a Garner Magnet high graduate, often participated in military functions and at funerals at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., during his enlistment.
“It is good to be able to participate in an event that honors men from my hometown,” Grissom said. “The families of these men know that their community has not forgotten them.”
The Wreath Laying and Gold Star Tree Ceremony was organized by Show N Tell Ministries and sponsored by the Town of Garner and the Garner Veterans Advisory Council. The Garner Optimist Club provided the wreaths and the tree.
Garner Fire-Rescue Brings Spirit of Christmas to Jaycee Burn Unit
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Burn victims at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center can’t be home for Christmas, so to help ease their pain, a group of firefighters from Garner paid a visit on Saturday. (via WRAL)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Burn victims at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center can’t be home for Christmas, so to help ease their pain, a group of firefighters from Garner paid a visit on Saturday.
Read the Full Story at WRAL.com
Garner Pauses on December 21st for Wreath Laying and Gold Star Family Recognition
Garner pauses to recognize our military sacrifices and Gold Star families
Wreaths will be hung at the Garner Veterans Memorial and our Gold Star families will be recognized on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m., at Lake Benson Park. The public is invited.
Wreaths will be hung at the Garner Veterans Memorial and our Gold Star families will be recognized on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m., at Lake Benson Park. The public is invited.
2018 Wreath Laying Ceremony
The wreaths, one each for the five branches of service, will be placed at the memorial by military personnel. Two members of the honor guard from Seymour Johnson Air Force base, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Bani Bunyan, recently retired U.S. Marine Capt. Trey Grissom, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer George F. Lauff, Jr.; U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Jason Trail and U.S. Army Major General Charles Scott (retired) are expected to form the military escort.
Bagpipes played by Jeff Hammerstein will lead the Town of Garner's Honor Guard to the memorial.
After the wreaths are hung, each of the escort will hang a star on the tree in honor of the families of the men represented by the gold stars. The public is invited to hang stars in honor of the families of the loved one who died while in military service.
Sixty-six stars already are hanging on the tree in honor of the 66 community men who were killed while in the military.
Recognizing Garner’s Vietnam Veterans
There will be special recognition of our Vietnam veterans.
Eight men from the community were killed in Vietnam.
The Wall That Heals, a traveling ¾ scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will visit Lake Benson Park on April 16-19. The Wall that Heals is 400-foot long and 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. It is expected to be located near the Garner Veterans Memorial.
The Wall That Heals travels with a mobile learning center.
Learn more about The Wall That Heals visit to Garner below.
Poole Family YMCA and Johnston County YMCA Raise Funds to Lower Barriers
The Poole Family YMCA and Johnston County YMCA hold an Annual Campaign each year to raise money for the Garner and Johnston County community and it was a full house of full hearts this year at the Poole Family YMCA Victory event!
The Poole Family YMCA and Johnston County YMCA hold an Annual Campaign each year to raise money for the Garner and Johnston County community and it was a full house of full hearts this year at the Poole Family YMCA Victory event!
The Poole Family YMCA/Johnston County YMCA has raised $313,531 (and counting) for our community!
100% of the funds raised are invested locally and impact thousands of lives directly, but also have a ripple effect of opportunities that strengthens our entire community.
Through the generous giving of donors to the campaign, loved ones regain their strength after battles with cancer, classrooms accelerate learning with more confident students, teens discover their leadership potential for today and tomorrow, and families find the support they need for active, healthy lives.
“Our YMCA Annual Campaign creates so many amazing opportunities for our community. I am humbled and honored to help each year with this campaign. I love that the money we are raising goes right back into the community that I grew up in and now work in.”
Dustin Williams – Associate Executive Branch Director
No Limits Initiative
The growth of this year's campaign not only sustains the Y’s community commitment but will allow for new opportunities like the No Limits Initiative.
Everyone deserves a chance to participate in YMCA programming. The YMCA is committed to serving families with special needs through youth and adult programs, membership wellness and specialized programming through the No Limits Initiative.
Every donor and volunteer is an invaluable part of the Annual Campaign team. The community’s gifts of time, personal resources and energy have built relationships that will make a meaningful, lasting difference.
The YMCA would especially like to thank our campaign chair, Lisa Bullard and leadership volunteers: Zach Ambrose, Jacob Bowes, Charlie Brignac, Russell Camper, Linda Carnes, Jennifer McGee, Karen Pahl and Nilesh Surti. The campaign continues through late December.
There is always more need than available funds.
There is still time to donate. Just select Poole Family YMCA Annual Campaign in the drop down menu.
Garner Community Call: Vietnam Veterans, Share Your Story
The local organizing committee of The Wall That Heals’ visit to Garner is trying to assemble a list of all the community men and women who served in Vietnam.
“But we know that we are missing a lot of Vietnam veterans. We’d like to talk to as many as possible. We plan to have a display at the wall about our local Vietnam veterans.”
Garner’s Tony Warren, a medic in Vietnam, is featured in an iconic Vietnam photograph. Warren is on the ground with a bandaged comrade. Warren is peering into the distance during a fire fight on June 15, 1967.
The Garner community had eight men killed in the Vietnam War and dozens of others in the community served in Vietnam.
The local organizing committee of The Wall That Heals’ visit to Garner is trying to assemble a list of all the community men and women who served in Vietnam. If you served or know of someone in the community who served, please email timstevens710@gmail.com.
“We have the stories of about 40 men from the area who served in Vietnam,” said Tim Stevens, the president of Show N Tell Ministries, which is organizing the wall’s display in Garner.
“But we know that we are missing a lot of Vietnam veterans. We’d like to talk to as many as possible. We plan to have a display at the wall about our local Vietnam veterans.”
The Wall That Heals
The Wall That Heals is a traveling ¾ scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. More than 130 communities made bids to host the wall in 2019 and Garner was among the 34 communities who were selected.
The wall will be at Garner’s Lake Benson Park on April 16 through 19. The wall lists the name of each of the 58,276 Americans who perished during the Vietnam conflict.
The wall is almost 400 feet long and is 7.5 feet tall at its highest point. Once the 140 panels are erected, the wall will be open and staffed 24 hours a day. An LED lighting system ensures that each name is visible at night.
Each name is engraved on the Avonite panels and visitors can do name rubbings.
The wall is accompanied by a mobile Education Center. Garner also plans to have a tent where the stories of our community men will be displayed.
“Last spring, when we presented “Duty,” a play about Garner and Vietnam, we displayed more than three dozen pictures and stories of our community men in Vietnam,” Stevens said. “We would like to add more stories and pictures for the display at the wall.”
Garner’s Tony Warren, a medic in Vietnam, is featured in an iconic Vietnam photograph. Warren is on the ground with a bandaged comrade. Warren is peering into the distance during a fire fight on June 15, 1967.
The photograph was used in Ken Burns’ documentary about Vietnam and was published newspapers throughout the country.
“The picture is certainly worth 1,000 words, but all of the pictures that we have assembled tell their story,” Stevens said. “We want to tell our community’s Vietnam story as well as to honor all those who perished.”
If you served in Vietnam, please contact Tim Stevens at timstevens710@gmail.com.