1 Year Since Helene: Honoring How Communities Recover
As we approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, we want to highlight some Western North Carolina events that are being held to commemorate the storm’s impact.
Events
- Swannanoa Community Altar: At the Swannanoa Fire Department from September 20-29. Community members are invited to bring and place items around the flagpole.
- From Helene and Back—Nature’s Wakeup Call: The Center for Cultural Preservation, WNC’s cultural history and documentary film center, will air a radio documentary that focuses on how the community came together to help each other after the storm and how learning about this kind of storm can help preparation measures in the future. This will air on WNCW 88.7 on September 23rd at 9 PM.
- Milestone Day of Service: Explore Asheville is going to partner with some community groups on September 23rd as part of the Helene Milestone Day of Service. Find more information at exploreasheville.com or with Hands on Buncombe-Asheville’s volunteer boards.
- RiverLink: Help support the park’s resilience by working on the native pollinator meadow, the riparian area, and the creation of an education, climate-resilient park. Work includes weeding, mulching, and watering. This event is on September 23rd from 1-3 PM at Karen Cragnolin Park.
- UNC-Asheville Helene Symposium: In pursuit of remembering, rebuilding, and reimagining, faculty from UNC-Asheville will lead panels, lectures, art exhibitions, performances, film screening, storytelling, and other interactive events. This three-day event takes place from September 24-26. You can register at this link.
- Nature’s Song of Renewal—Ecological Resiliency after Helene: This event will take place at Grandfather Mountain on Blowing Rock Highway in Linville. There will be a panel discussion to explore how resiliency and the natural world changed in the aftermath of Helene. This event costs $50 and will take place on September 25th from 3:30 to 7 PM. Tickets can be purchased at this link.
- Heroes of Helene: On September 25th from 4-7 PM, the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, Explore Asheville, and Highland Brewing will part with the City of Asheville and Buncombe County for an event at Highland Brewing Company. Interested folks should register online and can anticipate music, local food, tributes, and community connection.
- Strength Beyond the Storm: On September 27th from 10 AM to 4 PM, the Town of Hot Springs invites people to the Hot Springs Resort and Spa for an event that will highlight community strength and gratitude in the aftermath of Helene.
- Helene Remembrance Eucharist: The Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina will host a Helene Remembrance Eucharist at Lake Logan Conference Center on September 27th at 10 AM. The eucharist will honor the lives and communities affected by Helene. You can register here.
- Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Commemoration Ceremony: On September 27th at 11 AM, there will be a time for community members to gather and remember, reflect, and mourn all that has happened since Hurricane Helene. This gathering will be at the Morse Park Gazebo.
- Community Tree Giveaway: On September 27th at 10 AM, the Town of Black Mountain will be doing a tree giveaway to honor the community’s resilience. There will be planting instructions and at least 200 trees to give out. The tree giveaway will take place in front of Town Hall at 160 Midland Avenue.
- Swannanoa Gatherings and River Blessing: Starting at 10 AM on September 27th, the community will walk from the Swannanoa Fire Department’s Main Street to the Whitson Avenue Bridge for a river blessing and song.
- Bee Tree Candlelight Vigil: On September 27th at 6:30 PM, there will be a candlelight vigil at the Bee Tree Fire Station. This vigil will be in remembrance of the 43 lives lost in Buncombe County.
- Stronger than the Storm Celebration: On October 2nd at 5:30 PM, Asheville Yards, in downtown Asheville, will host the MountainTrue annual member gathering. There will be live music, food, door prizes, resources, and more. This event is free for MountainTrue supporters and will cost $10 for the general public. You can buy tickets at this link.
Get Involved
These are just a handful of commemoration events, which are pulled from the Citizen Times. Check out this Citizen Times article for the full list. McGill assisted with Helene recovery in various ways. Above all else, we focused on helping our clients, employees, and communities find their footing. Over the past few weeks, we have written articles about the Helene recovery in Hot Springs, Marshall, Waynesville, and Erwin. You can read those articles by looking in our archive.
