Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews
McGregor Hall Opens Season With Gulf Coast Band & Fundraiser For Hurricane Victims
HENDERSON, N.C.—An award-winning eight-piece band that helped redefine the sound of “Gulf Coast Soul” opens the 2017-2018 season for the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in Henderson, N.C., on Thursday, Sept. 21, and half of the ticket sales to the show will be donated to help the victims of this summer’s hurricanes.
The Suffers hail from Houston, Texas, the site of catastrophic flooding near the end of August as Hurricane Harvey became the first major hurricane to strike the United States in more than a decade, bringing rainfall amounts of 40 inches and more to the region. The band still makes its home in Houston and its members and their families were impacted by the storm.
Seats for the 8 p.m. show will be $25 and $22, and McGregor Hall will give 50 percent of each ticket sold to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the recent storms.
“This simply felt like the right thing to do since we have such a popular band from the very center of the hurricane flooding coming to entertain us here in Henderson,” said Mark Hopper, vice president of the McGregor Hall board of directors. “Not only can we help the victims of the storm with our financial contributions, we have an opportunity to connect personally with victims of the Houston crisis in a unique way and show our concern.”
The Suffers are coming to Henderson on the heels of a Sept. 16 scheduled performance at the renown Monterey Jazz Festival in California, followed by a show at the Whale Rock Music Festival in Templeton, Calif.
Established in 2011, The Suffers soul band was organized by bassist Adam Castaneda and vocalist/keyboardist Pat Kelly, who brought on trumpet player Jon Durbin, trombonist Michael Razo, guitarist Kevin Bernier, percussionist Jose “Chapy” Luna, and drummer/vocalist Nick Zamora. Frontwoman Kam Franklin tops off the group with soaring vocals.
The group describes their music as a mix of musical styles and cultures found in Houston and around the Gulf Coast area — blues, soul, country, Cajun, hip hop, and Caribbean, according to a 2015 radio interview.
Brennan Carley of Spin Magazine said in a 2015 review: “The Suffers are a ten-piece soul collective that steeps their tracks in jazzy history with a modern twist. They’re the sort of neo-retro group you never knew music was so badly missing.”
The last three years have taken the band to new heights as they have played in more than 300 shows across North America. They have also appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah, and National Public Radio’s “Tiny Desk Concert” for Bob Boilen.
Their debut album, “The Suffers,” was selected by Billboard magazine as one of the “Top 10 Anticipated Rock & Alternative Albums” and Buzzfeed included the Suffers as one of the “25 New Artists You Need in Your Life in 2015.”
They recently finished their first international tour, spreading Gulf Coast Soul across the Caribbean, Western Europe and Australia.
While they have accepted invitations nationally for featured performances at festivals and events, the band has remained a local Houston favorite, accepting 23 Houston Press Music Awards over the past four years.
The show at McGregor is one of five shows scheduled for North Carolina venues in September.
The Suffers are the opening act of the McGregor Hall Heritage! series for 2017-2018. While individual tickets to the show are available, patrons still have an opportunity to buy a package of five shows for $100, representing $25 off regular ticket prices.
In addition to The Suffers, the Heritage! package will offer “Hairspray,” Oct. 27-29 and Nov. 3-5; a new stage play, “Daddy’s Boys,” by North Carolina African-American playwright Garrett Davis, Jan. 13; the Masters of Soul Motown Revue, March 3; and Rod of God with comedian Roderick Allison, April 14.
McGregor Hall is also selling season tickets to two other series, McGregor Live! and Joy!
McGregor Live! will feature six shows: Lorrie Morgan, with 14 Top 10 Country music hits, on Oct. 8; “Hairspray,” performed and produced with local talent, on Oct. 27-29 and Nov. 3-5; the Christmas Wonderland holiday spectacular, Dec. 5; world-renowned magician and mentalist Joshua Lozoff, Jan. 6; Al Stewart, known for the Top 10 hits “Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages,” and his band, the Empty Pockets, Feb. 17; and the original Eagles tribute band, Hotel California, March 16. The six-show package, with a regular price of $160 if purchased individually, is priced at $125.
Joy! will feature three shows featuring five well-known Christian artists and groups: Dove- and Grammy-award winning Jason Crabb, Nov. 12; Karen Peck with New River, Feb. 23; and the Talleys with Tribute, April 7. With a regular ticket price of $75, the three-show package will be reduced to $50. Those purchasing the Joy! series can also add on the Christmas Wonderland show for a reduced price of $20.
All three series will have the option for spreading payments over four quarterly installments.
Tickets to The Suffers show and the series packages can be purchased online at any time at www.McGregorHall.org, by calling the Box Office at (252) 598-0662, or by visiting the Box Office at 201 Breckenridge Street in Henderson. When purchasing tickets online, patrons should make sure they are purchasing tickets through McGregor’s secure and trusted purchasing platform, eTix. The Box Office is open on Tuesdays through Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m., and, starting Monday, Sept. 18, Box Office hours will expand to Mondays through Fridays from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Patrons can save online fees when ordering directly with the Box Office staff.
VGCC to hold Bone Marrow registration events
Vance-Granville Community College, in partnership with the Project Life Movement, is planning a three-day, three-campus bone marrow registration drive in October.
Members of the community are invited to join VGCC students, faculty and staff at one of the events being held on three of the college’s campuses: Tuesday, October 3, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the seminar room (G1131) on South Campus, located between Creedmoor and Butner; Wednesday, October 4, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the student center/lounge in Building 2 on Main Campus in Vance County; and Thursday, October 5, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the multi-purpose room on the Franklin County Campus near Louisburg. 
At each event, participants will have their cheek swabbed to provide DNA that will enter a growing bone marrow donor registry. The painless registration process takes only a few minutes, but could save a life if a participant turns out to be a match for someone in need of a bone marrow transplant. Such treatments are the only hope for many people diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and other blood cancers and diseases. Around 60 percent of those in need of a donation currently cannot find a donor match, according to Project Life, a national movement that started with students at Davidson College and has spread to more than 25 other schools. VGCC first held a college-wide bone marrow registration event with Project Life in the fall of 2015.
Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in good health to be on the bone marrow registry.
Taking the lead on this initiative at VGCC are students in the Radiography program.
For more information, contact Radiography Clinical Coordinator/instructor Stacey Soles at (252) 738-3515 or soless@vgcc.edu, or Ann Henegar at (704) 299-6310 or www.projectlifemovement.org.
Anyone who is unable to attend one of the VGCC events but wants to join the bone marrow registry can find more information at www.deletebloodcancer.org.
–VGCC–
Older Adults CAN Prevent a Fall
Henderson, NC – The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging, along with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and its Falls Free® Coalition, will be celebrating the 10th Annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day on September 22, 2017 (the first day of fall) by helping support balanced lifestyles.
“Older adults want to stay active, independent, and safe in their homes, but many worry about their risk of falling,” says Jillian Hardin, Director, Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging. “In fact, one in three Americans over the age of 65 falls every year. However, falling is not a normal part of aging. Falls can be prevented.”
Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging is supporting the 2017 theme, 10 Years Standing Together to Prevent Falls, by educating older adults on simple steps that can be taken to prevent falls and fall related injuries. Two free eight week workshops on falls prevention are scheduled; one at the North Granville Senior Center in Stovall on Tuesdays from September 12 – October 31 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and the second class scheduled for October 18 – December 6 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Warren County Senior Center in Warrenton.
The program, called A Matter of Balance, is designed to help older adults to overcome the fear and help prevent falls. Participants learn physical activities to strengthen muscles, increase social activity, safety hazards to prevent falls, problem solving and goal setting.
To find more falls prevention resources, go to ncoa.org/FallsPrevention. The official social media hashtag for this year’s event is #FPAD2017.
The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging leads and is involved in the efforts that provide for the development and enhancement of comprehensive and coordinated community based systems of services, opportunities, and protections for older adults which assist them in leading independent, meaningful and dignified lives in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. We serve five counties, Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren.
The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging Celebrates National Falls Prevention Awareness Day by Supporting Balanced Lifestyles.
VGCC invites community to Manufacturing Day
Vance-Granville Community College will hold a “Manufacturing Day” celebration on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 8:30 to 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Job seekers and students are invited to attend and to learn more about manufacturing and related careers.
Local manufacturers and equipment vendors will provide demonstrations and information highlighting their products and their employment opportunities. Attendees will learn about career options in the region’s industries and the technical skills required to succeed in such careers.
Participants are set to include Altec of Creedmoor, Boise Cascade of Roxboro, Glen Raven of Norlina, Mars Petcare of Henderson, CertainTeed of Oxford and Carolina Sunrock of Butner, among others.
Representatives of VGCC technical programs, including those that provide education and training related to advanced manufacturing, will also be on hand. These include curriculum programs in Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology, Automotive Systems Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology and Welding Technology. VGCC’s Admissions and Financial Aid departments will also have representatives there. Attendees will also be able to learn about the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at a community college and paid, on-the-job training at a participating employer.
Event organizers hope to develop a pipeline of highly trained and skilled employees. “VGCC and industry partners are working together to address the skills gap, connect with future generations, and educate them about the outstanding opportunities that manufacturing careers can provide,” said Ken Wilson, project manager for the TechHire grant at VGCC, which supports advanced manufacturing training and information technology training.
The VGCC event is one of many across the country celebrating National Manufacturing Day (also known as “MFG Day”). The annual observance was established by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).
For more information, contact VGCC Academic & Career Coach Tiffani Polk at polkt@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3291.
