This weekend has the perfect weather in store for a motorcycle ride. Hop on your bike and head out to Whiteville to support a good cause. Be sure log onto www.columbuscountynews.com for absolutely free to catch up on any news you’ve missed this week. Get your news delivered every morning to your inbox before your coffee ever hits your cup by signing up for our daily newsletter.
The Veterans Memorial Park of America ‘Freedom Isn’t Free’ motorcycle run will be on Saturday, Aug. 5, with registration from 8:30 – 10 a.m. at the park. Kickstands and boots will be off the ground at 10:30 a.m. The group will arrive at Beach House Harley Davidson located at 100 Harley Davidson Drive in Shallotte at 11:30 a.m., and at noon, the riders will head back to Columbus County. The event will end at 1 p.m. at Slugger’s Deli in Whiteville.
If you would like to participate in the run, the cost is $20 per motorcycle, and proceeds will go towards building the Veterans Center at the park. For more information or to sign up, contact Don Edmunds at 910.207.1558 or Roz Skochinsky at 910.445.3062. A 50/50 raffle will also take place during the benefit. The park is located at 6354 James B. White South. 
Shizzy’s Wildcat Rescue in Fair Bluff will have two workdays this month, on Aug. 5 and 26, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. You must be 18 years old or older to use tools and climb ladders. If you would like to volunteer at Shizzy’s Wildcat Rescue, find out more information, make a donation, or become a sponsor, you can contact Rhonda Billeaud, co-chairman for Shizzy’s, by phone at 910.840.1886. You can also send her an email at rhondabilleaud@shizzyswildcatrescue.org. The full summer schedule for Shizzy’s can be found here.
The Lakeside Ministry will run every Sunday through Labor Day at 9 a.m. at the Lake Waccamaw campground pavilion. This Sunday, Aug. 6, the speaker will be Warren Hill.
The Sheepdog Foundation will be having a lunch plate sale on Wednesday, Aug. 9, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. with the pop-up Reggae Café. The fundraiser will directly assist in kicking off the organization’s youth mentorship program called Hard Chargers. Sheepdog will be serving up Jamaican curried chicken, rice and peas, steamed cabbage, and plantains for $10 a meal. They will also have a traditional Jamaican infused drink up for grabs for $2. Hang out and get your grub on at the café while you listen to some smooth Reggae tunes with WTXY Kool 103.9 FM. The event will take place at 1017 South Madison Street in Whiteville.
Hallsboro Artesia Elementary will host ‘Picnic with the Principal’ on Aug. 10 from 5-7 p.m. Children and their families are invited to come out and meet the new principal Dr. Kalee Hill and enjoy some good food, music, and fellowship. The event will be held in the cafeteria of the school.
Whiteville Parks and Recreation will be holding football registration for children ages 7-12 years old through Aug.11. The cost for non-city residents is $48.50, and the fee for Whiteville city residents is $38.50. You can register online at www.parksrec.egov.basgov.com or in person at the office located at 255 Rec Center Drive. Parents must have a copy of the child’s birth certificate at the time of registration. For more information about the football program, call 910.642.9052.
Southeastern Community College will hold their 3rd annual Chris Wilcox Family Day on Saturday, Aug. 12, on the college campus from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Along with a backpack giveaway, the event will include a free one-mile color run. There will be powder of different colors in the air, so be sure to wear the appropriate clothing. Vendors are also welcome to set up, and those interested can register at https://forms.gle/HipLuMPVxXA3m4GZ8. For questions about the Chris Wilcox Family Day, email the foundation at admin@wilcoxfamilyfoundationnc.org.
Brown Street Station in Chadbourn will also be open every second Saturday of the month for the Main Street Market. Live entertainment and vendors will be there from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. for the public to enjoy. The next selling day will be Aug. 12. The venue is located at 202 North Brown Street. For more information about vendors opportunities, call 910.477.8080.
Join the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) in Whiteville for Second Saturday Storytime on Saturday, Aug. 12, at 10:30 a.m. Staff will be reading and speaking about bees. A nature-related activity will follow. This program is for kids ages 2–5 years old, but all are welcome. Second Saturday Storytime is sponsored by the Columbus Council of North Carolina Reading Association in partnership with the NCMNS. The event is held every second Saturday of each month at the museum.
The town of Bolton will have Community Day on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Goshen Medical Center. Free school supplies will be given away to the first 100 kids, and there will be free sports exams, cardiac screenings, and much more. Goshen is located at 213 Ninth Street in Bolton.
An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as “special”, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis. ‘The Lego Movie’ will be the feature film for the next Movies on Madison on Friday, Aug. 18, at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville. The museum lawn will open at 7:30 p.m. for activities, and the movie will begin at dusk. Snacks and refreshments will be available for purchase. This is a family event, so no coolers, pets, alcoholic beverages, or smoking is allowed on the facility grounds. Admission is free.
The Columbus County Sheriff’s Animal Protective Services will be back once again this summer for their annual Family Fur Day. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Columbus County Fairgrounds. This is the facility’s second year hosting the celebration. APS will not be hosting a rabies vaccination clinic at Family Fur Day this time, but instead, they will be focusing on getting the animals currently housed at the shelter adopted. Adoption fees will be half price at the event. Dog adoptions will be $67.50, and the fees for a cat will be $37.50. The price includes vaccines, dewormer, and a spay/neuter voucher.
Families and their pets are invited to come out and enjoy other activities during the outing. Bouncy houses, food trucks, and games will be set up and animals will be available for meet and greets while searching for their furever homes. For more information about Family Fur Day, call APS at 910.641.3945 or stop by the facility Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Columbus County Fairgrounds can be found at 866 Prison Camp Road in Whiteville.
The Columbus County Cooperative Extension is offering a baking class for kids. The youngsters ages 8-15 will be learning how to make chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, and royal icing on Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the extension office at 45 Government Complex Drive in Whiteville. Registration must be completed online at www.v2.4honline.com, and fees must be paid at the facility before a spot can be secured. For instructions or more information about the baking class, call 910.640.6605.
A favorite weekend pastime is coming to Lake Waccamaw in a very big way. Ginger Littrell, wife of town commissioner Terry Littrell, has helped to organize a town wide community yard sale on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 4. The treasure hunt will begin at 8 a.m., and over 100 homes in Lake Waccamaw including the Wooded Acres community will be participating. If you are a Lake Waccamaw resident who would like to participate in the event and you need more information, please contact Ginger Dortmund Littrell via Facebook Messenger. The yard sale will begin at 8 a.m. and will continue until sold out or until sellers are worn out. You can also check out the Columbus Connection about the event at https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Q4g20ogAbIA6iErzEbG4c.
The GOOD NEWS is featured every Saturday morning on WTXY Kool 103.9 FM, and throughout the week under the GOOD NEWS tab at columbuscountynews.com. Email crystalfaircloth@columbuscounty.news with your church announcements, fundraisers, yard sales, club news, community celebrations, or just plain happy stories. There is no charge for publicizing your events.
