The Vance Granville Community College Foundation has received a $50,000 grant award from Duke Energy Foundation to support small business growth in the four-county area it serves.
And community college officials have come up with a creative way to make sure that the money is equitably distributed to do the most good.
The VGCC Foundation was one of 21 community organizations from across the state to share in $700,000 in this round of funding, said Beth Townsend, Duke Energy local government and community relations manager. Since it was established in 2020, the program has given more than $2 million in grant funds to small businesses across the state.
Townsend was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk, and was joined by VGCC’s Carolyn Perry, director of the Small Business Center, and Kyle Burwell, dean of Business and Industry Solutions, who provided details about how the money would be used.
The VGCC Small Business Center will select grant fund recipients through a series of workshops, one based in each of the four counties the college serves. Each workshop session will be comprised of four evening classes for a total of 10 hours of instruction. The sessions will culminate with a five-minute pitch contest, after which five of the session’s 10 participants will receive a $2,500 award to support their small business.
Workshop dates and locations are as follows:
- 16–19: VGCC South Campus, Creedmoor
- 30 – Oct. 3: VGCC Main Campus, Henderson
- 7–10: VGCC Warren Campus, Warrenton
- 14–17: VGCC Franklin Campus, Louisburg
Perry said there are just a few requirements to participate – applicants must be 18 years old and must be residents of the county of the workshop they sign up for. Only one participant per household is allowed and anyone associated with VGCC is not eligible to take part, she said.
If you do a little quick math, $50,000 divided by 4 equals $12,500. There will be 20 awards – 5 per county – which means that each grant will be $2,500.
The first three days of the process will involve coaching and developing a plan that will be pitched on day 4, Perry said, sort of like TV’s “Shark Tank.”
VGCC leaders have devised a creative way to help small business owners come up with innovative ways to infuse capital into their endeavors.
“When you start off with some capital,” said Burwell, you increase a business’s survival rate, not to mention provide stability and create additional employment opportunities. She said it’s a way to help businesses learn how to use funding and market themselves, which creates “a true impact for all of our communities.”
Perry said the Number One question she gets from entrepreneurs who seek advice and help from the Small Business Center is “Can you tell me where there are some grant dollars for my business?”
Owners of retail shops, restaurants and other small businesses looking to expand, their business, upgrade technology, improve marketing or downtown storefronts are just the kind of participant VGCC’s Small Business Center is looking for.
“We want to see how creative they’ll be,” Perry said. The timing right before the holidays could prove extra helpful; some small businesses depend on a brisk holiday sales season to boost their bottom line.
“Small businesses remain the backbone of the U.S. economy, and in rural areas, they also serve as the heartbeat of our local economies,” noted VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “This monetary commitment enables Vance-Granville Community College to promote the entrepreneurial mindset and support budding small business ideas into real businesses within our larger community.”
To learn more about this program and participant requirements, contact Perry at 252.738.3240 or perryc@vgcc.edu.
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TownTalk: Tiffany Jones Community Uplift Project
/by WIZS StaffTiffany Jones uses her nonprofit Community Uplift Project to do a lot of good in the local area.
In addition to helping parents connect with resources for children who may be on the autism spectrum, the 501(c)3 has food giveaways and has even offered assistance to those struggling to pay bills.
But the bill assistance has been put on hold – for the time being, anyway – because Jones is focusing her attention on a fundraiser to make some upgrades to her office space at 105 S. Garnett St.
She needs to raise $10,000 to pay for contractors and materials to bring the space into code compliance. “We’re shooting for the stars… to upgrade our space…and continue to operate,” Jones said on Thursday’s TownTalk.
One of her passions is being an advocate for children who may have autism spectrum disorder.
“Autism is real, autism is present,” she said, but she wants parents, grandparents and others who care for children to know that there are resources that can help.
Children on the spectrum may be nonverbal or have other challenges when it comes to expressing themselves. Aversions to certain noises, smells or other stimuli they may encounter can trigger strong reactions that may be mistaken for bad behavior, but Jones said autism represents something bigger than just a behavior issue.
“I wanted to make sure I was able to help them,” she said, adding that when she detects stress and worry from parents of children on the spectrum, it just made her want to help them as well as the children.
She suggests that parents observe how their children interact with other children; autistic children often prefer to play in isolation. Watch for particular triggers: it could be something as simple as not wanting to share or not having a particular familiar toy, she said.
Challenges or obstacles that many children can resolve or think through themselves pose problems for children on the autism spectrum.
Autistic children won’t be able to resolve those issues on their own, Jones said. “They have to learn how, by teachers or parents,” she said.
Jones hopes one day to be able to house a training center at Community Uplift Project that helps adults learn more about autism and how to successfully support children on the spectrum.
But that won’t become a reality until she’s got the building issues taken care of. Jones will be at Saturday’s Way to Grow! festival in downtown Henderson to promote what C.U.P. is all about.
There are several different ways to make a donation, including Cashapp, credit or debit card and donating online at www.cuprojectnc.org.
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TownTalk: Duke Energy and VGCC Foundations Support Small Business
/by WIZS StaffThe Vance Granville Community College Foundation has received a $50,000 grant award from Duke Energy Foundation to support small business growth in the four-county area it serves.
And community college officials have come up with a creative way to make sure that the money is equitably distributed to do the most good.
The VGCC Foundation was one of 21 community organizations from across the state to share in $700,000 in this round of funding, said Beth Townsend, Duke Energy local government and community relations manager. Since it was established in 2020, the program has given more than $2 million in grant funds to small businesses across the state.
Townsend was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk, and was joined by VGCC’s Carolyn Perry, director of the Small Business Center, and Kyle Burwell, dean of Business and Industry Solutions, who provided details about how the money would be used.
The VGCC Small Business Center will select grant fund recipients through a series of workshops, one based in each of the four counties the college serves. Each workshop session will be comprised of four evening classes for a total of 10 hours of instruction. The sessions will culminate with a five-minute pitch contest, after which five of the session’s 10 participants will receive a $2,500 award to support their small business.
Workshop dates and locations are as follows:
Perry said there are just a few requirements to participate – applicants must be 18 years old and must be residents of the county of the workshop they sign up for. Only one participant per household is allowed and anyone associated with VGCC is not eligible to take part, she said.
If you do a little quick math, $50,000 divided by 4 equals $12,500. There will be 20 awards – 5 per county – which means that each grant will be $2,500.
The first three days of the process will involve coaching and developing a plan that will be pitched on day 4, Perry said, sort of like TV’s “Shark Tank.”
VGCC leaders have devised a creative way to help small business owners come up with innovative ways to infuse capital into their endeavors.
“When you start off with some capital,” said Burwell, you increase a business’s survival rate, not to mention provide stability and create additional employment opportunities. She said it’s a way to help businesses learn how to use funding and market themselves, which creates “a true impact for all of our communities.”
Perry said the Number One question she gets from entrepreneurs who seek advice and help from the Small Business Center is “Can you tell me where there are some grant dollars for my business?”
Owners of retail shops, restaurants and other small businesses looking to expand, their business, upgrade technology, improve marketing or downtown storefronts are just the kind of participant VGCC’s Small Business Center is looking for.
“We want to see how creative they’ll be,” Perry said. The timing right before the holidays could prove extra helpful; some small businesses depend on a brisk holiday sales season to boost their bottom line.
“Small businesses remain the backbone of the U.S. economy, and in rural areas, they also serve as the heartbeat of our local economies,” noted VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “This monetary commitment enables Vance-Granville Community College to promote the entrepreneurial mindset and support budding small business ideas into real businesses within our larger community.”
To learn more about this program and participant requirements, contact Perry at 252.738.3240 or perryc@vgcc.edu.
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TownTalk: The Happiest Man
/by WIZS StaffTownTalk host John Charles Rose discusses a chance meeting with a very happy gentleman.
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Home And Garden Show
/by WIZS StaffOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 08-21-24 Noon
/by WIZS StaffClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
SportsTalk: Warren County Kicks Off Football Against Vance County Friday
/by Scout HughesVictor Hunt, Warren County High School Head Football Coach, discusses Friday Night’s game against Vance County.
Friday Night Football is right around the corner with Vance County traveling to Warren County on August 23rd. This county-line clash between Vance and Warren is sure to be a good game. Teams from Vance County and teams from Warren County have played each other over 60 times, going as far back as 1979 when Vance Senior High took on John Graham, and maybe even further than that.*
Coach Victor Hunt and his Eagles squad prepare to host the Vipers in the first matchup of the season. Even though the Vipers and Eagles aren’t in the same conference, that doesn’t stop the game from producing a wild atmosphere. “With it (both high schools) being in such close quarters, it’s definitely a great game for both communities”, Coach Hunt said.
There are many ways teams prepare for seasons and Hunt thinks that this offseason in particular has helped them tremendously through all the Eagles have done over the summer. “This year, with us getting out of school in May, we were able to do a lot in the month of June. We went to a team camp at Ferrum College, which I think will pay dividends for our guys…We went against multiple 5A schools (from Virginia)…We went to a team camp at North Carolina Wesleyan. We went to multiple seven-on-seven’s and joint things with Louisburg High School. We were able to compete against a lot of different people this summer. I think that will pay dividends for us, in this game and throughout the whole season.”
Warren County looks to make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row and Coach Hunt believes that this is a trend now for his team. He said, “Making the playoffs has definitely become the standard here. That’s a measuring stick for us. We want to make runs in the playoffs. Making the playoffs is great but getting it to that third round, that fourth round is where we ultimately want to be…now it’s time for us to turn the corner and get into those later rounds and see what happens.”
Hailing from the Tar-Roanoke Conference, Warren County is a 1A school, the lowest classification in North Carolina. (Classifications are determined by school enrollment.) Even with Warren being a 1A school, Hunt says he had a good turnout for football. “We had a pretty good turnout. Right now we’re probably sitting at about 45, close to 50 kids. It’s for sure the most kids that we’ve had since covid…We have about nine seniors, so most of these kids are younger guys. I’m thrilled with the turnout.”
Coach Hunt and the Eagles have already taken a look at Vance County. “We (Hunt and his Coaching Staff) got a chance to see them against Jordan High School,” referring to the High School OT jamboree at Wake Forest High School this past Saturday. “They (Vance County) are a good football team. It’s a David vs. Goliath matchup. They are a 3A school…they have some kids on their team that are really great. On paper, they are a really good program. They went undefeated last year in the regular season. You know, on paper they are really, really good. I just thank God that football is played on grass and not on paper.”
Based on earlier radio interviews with Vance County Head Coach Aaron Elliott, he is excited to get the season started and ready to get on the field. Eagles Coach Victor Hunt shares that excitement. “I’m extremely excited. I love the opportunity to compete. I’m a competitor. Our kids are competitive and that’s what practice has been like all summer. It’s been outright competitive…every time we get an opportunity to lace ‘em up, and go against somebody in a different color jersey, I am thrilled about it.”
Vance County travels to Warren County for Week 1 of the 2024 season this Friday, August 23rd and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m.
*Records of Vance County Football and Warren County Football found at carolinapreps.com
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Granville Health System Announces 2024 Sam Perry Scholarship Winners
/by WIZS Staff– information courtesy of Granville Health System
The Granville Health System Foundation has announced names of three recipients of the 2024 Sam Perry Scholarship, awarded to high school graduates who are pursuing careers in the field of health care.
Jenna Radford, Caelyn Bunn and Gracie Bullock, all of Oxford, have been selected to receive the award, now in its 14th year, according to Granville Health System Communications Specialist Dori Koinis.
Radford, daughter of John and Lisa Radford, is headed to East Tennessee State University with plans to pursue a career as a mental health nurse practitioner.
Bunn, daughter of Brian and Christy Bunn and a graduate of Vance Charter School, will attend UNC-CH to major in Sports Science with plans to pursue a career as a physical therapist.
Bullock, daughter of Kenneth and Kristi Bullock, is a graduate of Oxford Preparatory School and Vance-Granville Community College and will attend UNC-CH to major in Nursing with plans to pursue a career as a family nurse practitioner.
In 2009, the Granville Health System Board of Trustees and the GHS Foundation Board of Directors established a scholarship fund in honor of Sam Perry, a physician’s assistant whose specialized medical care earned him deep respect from both patients and peers throughout his career at Granville Health System.
The Sam Perry Scholarship is awarded to Granville County residents who have been accepted into a two-year or four-year allied health program at an accredited school and who intend to pursue a career in the health care field. Programs eligible for this scholarship include various health-related specialties including, but not limited to, clinical laboratory sciences, physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiological science, pharmacy, RN, BSN, ADN, LPN, dentistry and related careers, physician, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner.
Xavier L. Wortham, GHS Foundation Board president, said this year’s winners are most deserving of the scholarship. “Each of these recipients embodies the qualities of leadership, community service and academic discipline necessary to pursue their aspirations in health care,” Wortham said. “The Scholarship Committee was highly impressed by their academic excellence, extensive extracurricular involvement, and significant community engagement, all of which surpassed the criteria for this award.”
TownTalk: Ducky Derby Coming September 21
/by WIZS StaffWhen you bring the family down to this year’s annual Ducky Derby in downtown Henderson, Kimiko Williams suggests you bring a change of clothes for the kiddos – at least a towel – because the water flowing down Garnett Street acts just like a magnet, figuratively speaking, of course.
“When they see that water, the first thing they want to do is dive in,” Williams told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “They can’t resist getting in that water.”
The 15th annual Ducky Derby takes place on Saturday, Sept. 21 and it’s a fun event for a serious cause, said Williams, who is the program research and development coordinator for FGV Smart Start.
Tickets are $5 per rubber ducky and can be purchased in a variety of ways – online, via QR code, or by contacting or visiting the FGV office.
Of course, the number of ducks that will be poured out of the official cement mixer to float down the 2 ½ block course along Garnett Street depends on the number of tickets that are purchased. Pre-derby activities begin at 1 p.m. at the corner of Breckenridge and Garnett streets. The race begins at 2 p.m.
The first duck to cross the finish line wins for its ticketholder a $1,000 cash prize, Williams said. The second-place finisher gets Chick fil A for a year and the third-place winner gets a $250 Sheetz gas card.
Not to worry, the last duck that crosses the finish line doesn’t go away empty-handed; there’s a $100 cash award as a consolation prize.
Families currently paying for a child or children to be in day care can put their name in the bucket for a chance to win a free month of childcare at a local DCDEE licensed childcare facility.
Organizations or individuals may also be sponsors of the event – become a SuperDuck for $1,000, a Quacker Backer for $500 or a Feathered Friend for $250.
Proceeds from the fundraiser help FGV Smart Start provide supplemental support to families and children.
Williams said state and local dollars have restrictions for their use, but there are needs that those funds can’t be used for.
One program sends teachers into homes to help children gain skills that prepare them for entering school. And when those teachers learn about additional needs – diapers, transportation and more – they want to help.
“A lot of times, we need those unrestricted funds to provide that service,” she said.
Contact Williams at 252.572.0339 or visit (https://fgvsmartstart.org/community/ducky-derby) to learn more.
Call the FGV Smart Start office at 252.433.9110 (x230), purchase ducks online at fgvsmartstart.org or
(https://my.cheddarup.com/c/fgvss-ducky-derby/items?cart
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Perry Library To Celebrate 100th Birthday
/by WIZS StaffPerry Library has had several locations during its 99 years and 11 months of providing book-lending services to the area. And now, as library staff and the community prepare to celebrate 100 years, Youth Services Director Melody Peters says she’s weaving a birthday theme into a number of programs leading up to a very special celebration.
Some residents may remember visiting H. Leslie Perry Library when it occupied the columned building across from the old courthouse; others may have gone to the library when it was on Rose Avenue. But 205 Breckenridge Street has been the home of Perry Memorial Library since 2006, and Peters said it will be the site of a 100th birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be a bounce house, circus performers, food trucks, and a DJ and live music. The community is invited to come out to celebrate a century of having a library to enjoy, she said.
Other children’s programs leading up to that centennial celebration, however, will include a birthday theme.
Pre-school aged children will get to make pom pom launchers at the kickoff event of a STEM program geared toward kids not yet in school. Participants also will be decorating Play-Doh cupcakes at the first of a monthly gathering that includes hands-on activities for youngsters, Peters said.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about its programs and services and to view a calendar of events.
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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 08-20-24 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM