CURVE, WCU, NANTAHALA RACING CLUB SPONSOR CULLOWHEE EVENT SEPT. 12
CULLOWHEE – Cullowhee residents and Western Carolina University students, faculty, staff, and administration members are all invited to participate in The Cullowhee Happening, an event that includes activities on land and river, on Saturday, Sept. 12, with a grand finale at Avant Garden in Cullowhee.
Interested participants will have their choice between “surf or turf events” for The Cullowhee Happening, said Chris Blake, co-chair of the Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavour, a local group thatsupports revitalization in Cullowhee, which will reflect its history, culture and natural beauty. “Robin Lang of Cats Nip Café and Curt Collins of Avant Garden did a great job of planning the day’s events,” said Blake. “People can either compete in the Citizens Slalom Canoe Race or help during the Cullowhee Crawl trash walk. With either selection, we’re helping the local community of Cullowhee.”
For the surf selection, competitors will race canoes on the Tuckaseigee River, in a slalom above the bridge on Old Cullowhee Road. “People may practice for the event on Friday, Sept. 11, to get a feel for the water and the course,” said Maurice Phipps, coordinator of the Citizens Slalom Canoe Race and WCU professor of health, physical education and recreation. “The actual race will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, and will be through slalom gates above the bridge and below the dam.”
Anyone interested in participating in the race will need to fill out a registration form and pay a registration fee of $5 per person, said Phipps. The paperwork will be available from Monday, Aug. 24, to Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Base Camp Cullowhee, an on-campus organization that provides outdoor program services to the WCU community. “The registration costs will be donated to CuRvE,” said Phipps.
Anyone interested in the Cullowhee Crawl trash walk is invited to meet at Cats Nip Café at 11 a.m. on Sept. 12, to sign up and receive a route assignment, said Blake, who also is an assistant professor of English at WCU. “From the café, groups will go pick up trash on their designate routes,” he said. “Prizes will be given to groups with the heaviest trash bags, most unusual trash and most collected items from the provided scavenger list.”
When both events end, everyone is encouraged to meet at the Avant Garden farm, where three bands are scheduled to play and awards will be given, said Blake. “Food and drinks will be available to all, thanks to a donation by Ingles,” he said. “Participants are welcomed to bring tents for overnight camping and inner tubes for hanging out in the river as well.”
Sponsors for the canoe event include CuRvE, the Nantahala Racing Club, WCU’s Parks and Recreation Management Program, WCU’s Parks and Recreation Management Club, Base Camp Cullowhee, and WCU’s Quality Enhancement Plan administration. More sponsors are being sought for the Cullowhee Crawl event.
For more information about the surf choice, contact Phipps at (828) 227-3844 or atphipps@email.wcu.edu. For more information at the turf option, contact Robin Lang of Cats Nip at (828) 293-5062 or Curt Collins of Avant Garden at (919) 800-8708.
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