Here’s the press release from Mars Hill College:
It’s Not Too Late to Sign Up for the Fiddlin’ 5K in Mars Hill
It’s not too late to sign up for the Fiddlin’ 5K “Run for the Music” Road Race and Kids’ Dash that will be held on the morning of April 13, 2013.
The event will be hosted by Mars Hill College’s Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies, and it will benefit the Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Minstrel of Appalachia” Festival and the Junior Appalachian Musicians, a local program of the Madison County Arts Council that teaches mountain traditions through music and dance education.
According to Hannah Furgiuele, Program Coordinator for the Ramsey Center, and race director, the goal of the race is to raise awareness and funds to support the continued preservation and promotion of Lunsford’s legacy.
“Just as Bascom Lamar Lunsford was dedicated to teaching music to the younger generation in order to preserve the musical traditions of our region, The Ramsey Center, the Lunsford Festival and the Junior Appalachian Musicians are also committed to this cause,” Furgiuele said. “We feel that this race will be fun, and a great tribute to the rich musical heritage of Madison County.”
One of the unique features of the race is that runners and spectators will be serenaded by some of the region’s best music, performed by Lunsford Festival favorites like Roger Howell, Laura Boosinger, the Midnight Plowboys, Kathryn Parham-Brickey, and Bryce Parham. Also performing will be the young musicians of the Junior Appalachian Musicians, along with some of their teachers leaders Sarah and Jake Owen.
Furgiuele said the race is truly becoming a community initiative. “Our wonderful partners at the Madison County Arts Council have been a huge help in our efforts to promote the race and recruit volunteers,” she said. “And many other businesses and organizations in the area have all stepped forward to help out in different ways.”
LifeWorks at Mars Hill College will be offering a service project with an Asheville based non-profit SoleHope,and The Madison County Homeschool Initiative will be selling baked goods. Local business like the new Main Street restaurant Cork and Crown and Zuma’s Coffeehouse in Marshall have donated to the event, as well as many others.
Prizes for runners will be as unique to the region as the music along the route. In addition to some generous gift certificates to local running store Foot Rx, they will include handmade fiddle-shaped cutting boards by Rosewood Connections, handmade pottery by local artist Beth Bond, and handmade chocolates from Crumbs n’ Cream.
Full logistical details are available at www.lunsfordfestival.com by following the link at the bottom for the Fiddlin’ 5K. For more information, contact Hannah Furgiuele at 828-689-1571.
Mars Hill College is a private, liberal arts institution offering over 30 baccalaureate degrees and one graduate degree in elementary education. Founded in 1856 by Baptist families of the region, the campus is located just 20 minutes north of Asheville in the mountains of western North Carolina.www.mhc.edu 1-866-MHC-4-YOU.
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