Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival

Hi friends - 

As you probably know, my family was impacted by Hurricane Helene. We were fortunate though, the damage is fixable, our house is strong and our family is safe. Much of our area, however, was far less fortunate. From Asheville to Barnardsville, to Hot Springs to Old Fort. The entire Western North Carolina region was decimated by the rains and wind from Hurricane Helene and it will take years to recover from the impact. As my wife and I stabilize our own situation, we are also looking at how we can support our community. From donating items to helping with clean-up, there are countless ways to give back.

One area has a special meaning for my family - Old Fort. It's where we camp, it's where we hike, it's where would go to get the best cinnamon rolls in the entire region! So many great and wonderful memories. It's also home to a strong and similar-minded endurance community and naturally, these individuals are organizing a race and an event to generate funds and drive travel and tourism to the area. So, it was easy for me to lean into this. Do a fundraising event (hello Team In Training!) RIGHT up my ally. And, for an area that I love that has been devastated so much. It's just the first step in how we help our community. One of many. But I hope you will contribute to this fundraiser in which all of the funds will go to supporting the community members in Old Fort who lost their homes. In total 50+ homes were lost in McDowell County alone.  The goal is to raise $2,000,000 from this event alone to help in this cause.  All donations will go directly to helping those in need in our community.